One Big Happy Family
by xo.fangirl
Summary: One kid. Can change a life. One best friend. Can change a life. For the PLLs? One text, can change a life. Read as Haleb, Ezria, Spoby, and Emison deal with having a family and a familiar visitor.
1. Chapter 1

One Big Happy Family

Ch 1

Emily POV:

Emily's house, 3:00 pm

I looked out at the window, glancing down at my backyard. The skies were a tinted gray, and clouds were bunched together. It wasn't the best looking day, but it was indeed winter time. Every square inch of my backyard is covered in frosty snow. I truly admired how beautiful every feature in the yard was. After 6 years of living in this house, I couldn't be more proud of what my family and I had accomplished. There was a playhouse for Sarah and our future had an enormous backyard, with enough room for the girls and their husbands. Not to mention the huge family dinners we have, and the need for all of the space. I felt hands placed on my shoulders, and I glanced back. I looked at that heart shaped face and stunning blue eyes. Her curled blonde hair, laying on her back the way it did many years ago. "Good morning Alison." I greeted.

"Good Morning." She whispered back.

"Mama! Mommy!" Sarah shouted as she ran into Alison's arms. Sarah was two; she had Alison's eyes, and curly blonde hair. She liked to call Alison mama, and me mommy. Little Sarah didn't quite understand how everyone's parents are different genders. She doesn't need to though. Alison eagerly showed her the backyard, as her blue eyes widened. A smile rose across Sarah's face, she loved snow. When Sarah first could walk, we took a chance, and let her have some fun.

I took Sarah from Alison, and took her over to our living room. We had a dark brown sofa, that stretched across the room. Assorted throw pillows were carelessly thrown across the sofa. There was a fireplace across from the sofa, along with our 50" TV. I set Sarah on the couch, nestled in between Alison and I. Every weekend, we all come out before Sarah's bedtime, and watch the TV. We usually end up watching Dora, or Sesame Street. All of this Alison and I had prepared for, and we couldn't be happier. "Are you excited for all of your Aunties and Uncles to come over later today?" Alison asked.

"Uncle Ez-a!" Sarah shouted. Alison and I had tried to teach her how to say Ezra, but that was the best she could do. Sarah had taken a huge liking to Ezra, who reads her many stories when he visits. The girls and I being in the same neighborhood, makes us even more inseparable. All of the girls have large houses and are always okay with hosting. Though, the time has come for us to host a family dinner. We all are family after all. I had even invited their parents to come as well. Well, hence the snow, it is Christmas Eve! Christmas was by far my favorite holiday, the girls especially know that. My parents were very crazy about it too when I was growing up. We had tons of decorations, on the roof, front yard, and not to mention inside!

It had been silent for a little while in the house, as we enjoyed our last few minutes, before having to clean. Sarah had surprisingly fallen asleep, as I took the opportunity to take her to her room. I placed Sarah in her toddler Dora bed, as I looked around at her room, covered in Doras! She had a Dora dresser, Dora wallpaper, Dora stuffed animals. She even had Dora bedding! Alison and I, along with my parents have spoiled her ever since she was born. We want Sarah to have the best childhood she can, Alison especially. Looking back on the way Alison grew up, she wants to be the mother her mother never was.

I looked down at sleeping Sarah, and quietly backed away. I shut the door behind her, and went downstairs to Alison. It was currently 3:30, and the girls are supposed to come at 5.

"Ali, I'll take the downstairs, you do upstairs?" I asked.

She nodded, and quickly, we went to work.

I vacuumed the rugs downstairs, and gathered up all of Sarah's toys, and put them to the side. I neatened the throw pillows on each side of the couch. On the left side, there were 3 blankets neatly folded over the edge. I pulled the coffee table closer to the couch, and had successfully cleaned the living room. I continued my procedure throughout the downstairs, in the family room, hallway, and kitchen. I opened up the basement door, and went down the stairs. I fixed up the bar, pool table, and the gym. I was quite proud of my basement, and before Sarah was born, Alison and I spent all of our time there.

I went upstairs to see that Alison had successfully pushed tables together in the dining room, leading into other rooms, for our guests. The tables were set with plates and silverware. Alison and I, being the way we were, went and surveyed each others cleaning. I scooped up Sarah's toys into a bin from downstairs, and took it upstairs with me. Alison had done a fabulous job cleaning, and I quickly placed Sarah's stuff into her room, before waking her up. I grabbed Sarah, and picked out a white, ruffly dress for her.

Once I was done fixating Sarah's dress, I held her on my hip as we traveled down the spiral staircase. Alison and I put on the finishing touches downstairs, and the three of us stood by the Christmas tree, until the doorbell went off.

Aria POV:

3:00 pm, Aria's home

"Ezra! We have two hours!" I called up the stairs. The past few months have been very busy with me, with my job, and family life. In two hours, I had to be at Em's house, across the street. Luckily for me, I have to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Today was Christmas Eve, and for many years now since high school, I have spent it at Emily's home.

It has been 10 years since the girls and I have been to high school, and we have spent so much time together since. We all went to colleges along the east coast, had our children in the same month and year, and moved into the same neighborhood. I am so proud to be with the love of my life Ezra, my 2 year old son; Jonathan, and the girls. I couldn't be more happy to spend time with my favorite people in the world.

I went upstairs and knocked on the door of my master bedroom. I opened the door to my handsome 35 year old husband, Ezra, and kissed him goodbye. Jonathan was taking a nap, and hopefully would be ready to go to Em's. I hopped into my car, and drove off to the Rosewood Mall. I had already gotten Ezra, Jonathan, and my parents something. I still had to shop for the girls. Rosewood Mall had everything I need for my friends. After a few stores, I passed a familiar store where Hanna once shoplifted. I curiously peered inside, and saw a familiar head of long blonde hair, and this person had 10 inch heels. "Hi Han!" I called out. Unmistakably, it was Hanna. She spun around with nearly 10 bags held by her two arms.

"Aria!" She exclaimed, and ran over.

"I'm assuming your last minute shopping." She stated.

"Yeah, and you just needed new clothes?" I asked and chuckled.

"Holiday sales darling." She smiled.

"Here, let me help you." I grabbed a few bags from Hanna, and added them to my own collection. I stopped to check my phone, "Crap! It's 4:30, we've gotta go!" I yelled.

"Crap is right." She replied and nodded.

I started to jog towards the parking lot, as Hanna slowly followed behind me.

"Hurry up!" I shouted.

She looked at me, annoyed, and rolled her eyes. "Heels." She stated.

I waited and laced my arm with hers. Despite what Hanna said, I grabbed her arm as we raced towards the parking lot. It was a 10 minute trip back to our homes, and I needed to get dressed. We walked up to Hanna's silver SUV, as I dropped her bags in the trunk. We hugged and went our separate ways. I sped home, Hanna's car on my tail the whole time.

I ran in the house, and tossed Ezra the bags. "Wrap them, please!" I panted. I ran upstairs and threw on my dress, and applied some makeup. I put on waterproof mascara, after all, Caleb's jokes can really make me cry. I chose a black lace romper, with tights and some classic black heels. I quickly grabbed my overnight bag, and purse, and headed downstairs. Ezra and Jonathan had already started the car outside, as I hopped into the passenger seat.

"There's a tote in the back, it has the gifts." He replied.

"Thank you." I sincerely smiled.

We drove across the street, and I approached the door, and rang the doorbell.

At the door, the family of 3 were waiting. Sarah had a beautiful white ruffly dress on, Em and Alison looked great as well. I greeted the girls with a hug and kiss. Before I could hug Sarah, she had already leaped onto Ezra.

"Uncle Eza!" She yelled.

The girls and I laughed as I placed my bags down.

"Alright, we have the guestroom for the kids upstairs." Emily stated.

She grabbed the bag of things for Jonathan, and took them up there. I carried him upstairs, and sat him on the floor. Sarah and Jonathan quickly had started a conversation, and Emily and I headed downstairs to get settled.

"The guys'll take the couch, two of you can sleep on the pull out king. The other couch across the room is open as well." Alison stated.

Ezra quickly claimed the king, before any of the guys could. I laughed as he did a small fist pump into the air of victory.

"I'm assuming we'll take the tree house?" I asked with a grin.

"You assumed right!" Emily exclaimed.

When Em and Ali first got the house, they wanted a special feature in their enormous yard. They had beautiful sturdy trees, so the girls decided to do some research on tree house guys. The two had fallen in love with the idea, and the actual tree house. The other girls and I chipped in that it could be our barn, an area where we could hang out. So, the five of us all had says in the tree house design. There were five beds, a mini bar, and a cozy area where we could all sit and talk, like old times. We only have hung out in the tree-house a few times, but tonight was our first sleepover there. I felt just like I was in high school again with the excitement of being there. Before I could go scope it out, the doorbell rang.

Spencer POV:

3:00 pm, Spencer's home

"2 hours till Em's!" I called to Toby.

"Okay!" He replied.

I was so excited to spend some time with my favorite people on Christmas Eve! We were going over to Em's house to celebrate, and spending the night. My house was right next to Aria's, and across from Emily's. After graduating from college, Toby had gotten me a promise ring. Soon, about 2 years later, we were married. When I was 26, I had Michael, and I couldn't be happier. The girls also had little ones of their own at that time, Sarah, Jonathan, and Isabella. Ever since the girls and I graduated high school, we made a promise to never separate. To this day, the girls and I haven't spent more than a week apart. We live directly next or across from each other. When we graduated college, and were serious with our loved ones, we realized we had to take action. A nearby neighborhood in Rosewood had drawn our attention. The neighborhood was recently built, and the girls and I fell for the houses. We spent vacations together, weddings, and other important events.

I had picked out a long, flowy blue dress with a few ruffles at the top. I haven't changed much, I'm still the old Spencer Hastings. Well now, I'm Spencer Cavanaugh. Toby has been such a great guy to me, and I have loved him so much. We have been together for over 10 years now! It's crazy to think that I could've received such an amazing guy like him. Melissa got together with Wren, and they had their wedding in Florida. Currently, they reside in England. Melissa wanted to get as far away from Rosewood as possible.

As for my father, I don't know where he is. He didn't even show at my wedding. I haven't received a single email, text, or phone call of notification of where he is. The only blood, excluding Jason and Alison, that I have nearby is my mother. Veronica Hastings has been so supportive of Toby and I, and even helped us buy the house. I am now a successful lawyer, and Toby is still a carpenter.

Jason moved away to somewhere in Europe, last I heard he was meeting up with CeCe and traveling the world with her. He has stayed in touch with me, and gotten to see his nephew. After all of those years, Jason came around, and I am extremely happy for him.

Soon enough, my charming prince and I were ready to head to Emily's. I grabbed my tote of presents, overnight bag, and Mikey's stuff. We walked across the street and rang the doorbell.

I was greeted by four familiar people. Alison, Emily, Aria, and Ezra all stood at the door in greeting. I exchanged hugs with each of them, as Emily led me upstairs to settle Mikey in with the other children. We both headed downstairs as I gave Aria another hug.

"We're sleeping in the tree house!" Aria exclaimed. A huge grin lay across her face, and she seemed rather hyper.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"To the tree house!" Emily shouted.

Alison hopped on her back, and the four of us started to head outside. We were interrupted by the men.

"Em?" Toby asked.

Emily spun around and asked, "Yes?"

"Where do I sleep?" He asked.

"Either on the king with Ezra or on the couch." She replied.

"Obviously the king!" He shouted.

Ezra and Toby exchanged a fist pump, as Aria and I exchanged looks. Those were our husbands, who we had to put up with. The four of us just watched their excitement, before realizing what we were headed to do before.

"The tree house!" Emily yelled and spun around yet again.

I opened the back door, and the four of us started to climb out, but then the doorbell interrupted us.

We checked the time, 5:05, and all said "Hanna."

Toby went to get the door, as we were all in our own mind states.

**Hanna POV:**

**3:00 pm, Rosewood Mall**

Before heading to Em's, which was only next door, I decided to go to the mall. Winter had recently approached and I needed a whole new collection of clothing. Around Christmas, there's always huge sales. I am in desperate need of a fur coat, new dresses, heels, boots, and more. I first headed into Nordstroms for Uggs. Unlike any other store, Nordstroms had rare uggs that weren't found elsewhere. I am such a successful fashion designer and earn a lot of income, that it isn't a problem for me to afford clothing.

There were some pretty high quality Steve Madden boots as well, that I promised to check out when I was finished. I picked out a pair of tall uggs with the bailey buttons on the sides, and checked out. The Steve Madden boots that I wanted weren't available, so I decided to keep walking.

I made a stop at Michael Kors. There were so many new bags that I absolutely adored. I decided to settle after a while on the Colette collection. There was a medium black leather messenger that caught my eye. I tried it on and it looked stunning on me, of course. I got a matching crossbody, and wristlet to go along with it. I checked the time, and it was 4:00. I probably spent about 30 minutes in there, which was record timing for me.

My next stop was Sephora. I browsed through foundation sets, lipsticks, eyeshadow pallets, etc. I settled on a BareMinerals kit for foundation, and moved on to the eyeshadow pallets. The Naked pallets always seem to impress me, so I picked up one of the winter special ones. I grabbed four of my favorite color lipsticks, and headed to Victoria's Secret. I was a frequent shopper at all of these stores, so I got tons of discounts. I picked up a few things, and headed to yet another store.

Once I checked my phone, it was about 4:28. I was browsing clothing, and I heard a familiar voice call out "Han?"

I spun around, and standing there with half as many bags as me, was Aria.

We started a conversation, and soon enough, Aria made me run in my 10 inch heels. I got home around 4:40. Caleb frowned as I asked him to wrap the gifts. I quickly changed into a stunning white dress with a low cut on the back. I applied all of my makeup, which took nearly 20 minutes. Soon enough, I found myself grabbing the suitcase I packed, and Isabella's stuff. Caleb, Bella, and I headed over nextdoor to Em's. We rang the doorbell and were greeted by Spencer, Toby, Ezra, Aria, Alison, and Em. I hugged each of the girls, as Caleb talked to the guys.

"Finally your here! Now we can go to the treehouse!" Aria exclaimed.

"After I drop of Bella and her stuff with the kids." Emily reminded her.

Aria pouted, as soon enough Emily strolled upstairs and came back.

"To the treehouse!" She declared. The 5 of us raced in the snow to the treehouse, as I slowly went up the spiral staircase. I claimed one of the five beds and lay my suitcase down on it, as Aria claimed the one above me. On the other side, Em and Alison each took the upper and lower bunk. Spencer climbed in the center of the room, up the ladder to the bed. This was the most unique bed of the four. It rested on a huge shelf, and was supported by the shelf and a few bars. We all put our stuff on the shelf, and the floor by our bunks. The 5 of us realized that soon dinner would be served and we would have to leave the treehouse. Toby called out "We have a surprise!" Emily and Alison raced down first, and went to the door. They looked at Toby and nodded. The guys escorted the girls to the couches to patiently wait.

**Emily POV:**

The girls don't quite know that I invited their parents and mine as well over. Ella Montgomery had gone across the world to help children in need, and was currently residing in Norway. Ashley and Ted had gotten a beach house in Florida where they spend all of their time at. My parents live in Texas, near his old military base. My dad had retired a few years ago after many years of service. Veronica Hastings lived nearby, but went to go visit Melissa in England. Now, none of these people, except Wayne and Pam, had said they couldn't come to visit for Christmas. I could tell the girls were upset, so I bought each of them plane tickets to all return at the same time at the Philadelphia International Airport. I rented a large van to pick all of them up, and the parents have been keeping me updated since. The parents are all staying at a nearby hotel, since I don't have enough room here. I offered to have them over for breakfast the next morning, knowing all of the women's cooking skills.

I opened the door as I put up 3 fingers and whispered "One, Two, Three."

"Surprise!" They all yelled.

They girls all stepped up from the couches and ran to greet their parents. Aria let out a sob and wrapped her arms around her mom. Ella has been gone for a little over a year. She expressed to me that she is so proud of Aria, and who she has become. Spencer smiled and went over and exchanged an embrace with her mother. Hanna gave a huge hug to Ted and Ashley. Finally, after the parents walked in, I let out a few tears to greet my parents.

Alison sat over on the rocking chair, watching all of the greetings silently. When she saw my parents, she eagerly hopped up and gave them a huge hug as well. My parents really loved Alison and had warmed up to her over a course of years. Most importantly, they knew that she made me happy. It made me happy to see the affection that Alison had for my parents. I was really upset a few months ago in the process of getting the tickets for the parents. I knew in the back of my mind, no one was going to be there for Ali. Jason was in Europe, her mother is dead, and her father had a stroke before Sarah was born.

After hearing the commotion, the children came downstairs. I overheard them all except for Mikey ask "Are these our grandparents?"

Since the kids are only two, the last time the grandparents may have seen them is their birth, or first birthday. Since Veronica is around all the time, Mikey is already familiar with her. For the rest of our parents and children, they don't really know each other yet. Each of the families soon gathered together to talk about their lives and catch up. Sarah came over and jumped into my arms. My parents came over and asked "Sarah?"

"Who are you?" She replied.

Alison said, "These are your grandparents, grandma and grandpa."

"Hello!" She smiled.

I added, "These are the people who raised me, like we are raising you. These are my parents."

"Cool!" Sarah smiled again.

Soon after everyone was settled I headed to the head of the huge table. "Hi everyone! Welcome, I'm so glad you could all come! I love you all, and couldn't be happier to be spending time with all of you. Dinner will be served shortly, but as for now, could we please all take our seats?" I stated.

The kids raced to the adult table and sat down.

The girls and I looked at each other, and I said "Sorry guys, this is for the mommies and daddies. Your grandmas and grandpas are gonna sit here to." I told them. The kids all looked disappointed, as I showed them the kid table next to the adult one. The table had colored chairs, and coloring books in the middle.

"Look guys! Before dinner, you can color!" Aria exclaimed.

"Yay!" The children chorused.

Finally, the girls took their seats, and Alison and I grabbed bowls and the salad. The guys courteously helped us as well. Once the bowls were set, and the silverware was brought out. I carried the salad, and we helped the younger ones with a little of the salad. Soon enough, the guys, Alison, and I sat down.

We all started one big conversation.

"So, how have you all been?" Wayne asked.

Aria spoke up, "Ezra and I have been great! Ezra is an author, and he works in a publishing company, that published his books as well. He has published 3 successful young adult bestselling books. The books are all in a series, Today is the first book, Tomorrow is the second book, and Yesterday is the prequel. Meanwhile, I'm a teacher at Rosewood High, I teach English, just like Ezra did. We have Jonathan and own the house across the street. The two of us couldn't be happier."

"That's great!" Wayne said.

Ashley commented, "I would love to read your books Ezra, I'll have to get them when I'm back in Florida."

Ted nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." Ezra stated, gesturing towards Wayne and Ashley.

Soon enough, the time for dinner rolled around. A beep went off in the kitchen, as Alison and I excused ourselves.

We brought out the 3 trays of meatloaf from the oven, as we began to slice them, and let it cool. I started to heat up the bowls of mashed potatoes, and we soon had brought out the food. The food was placed at the center of the table, and the adults all thanked us. The men had contributed wine and beer, along with the stash that Alison and I had. We brought some bottles out, and everyone was just about to dig in. I stood up, took some wine once the women were finished, and held up my glass.

"Before we start, I'd like to make a toast." I stated.

"I want to just thank you all individually for coming, and being in my life. I started with Alison. "Well Ali, you know what I'm gonna say. You're the love of my life, and always have been since the 6th and 7th grade. You always are there to understand me and support me. If I never met you, or we all never met you, I wouldn't be the same. The girls and I wouldn't have met. Ali, you were the glue when I needed you. You could always fix me, and occupy that space in my heart that's meant for you, whenever you speak. I love you." I stated.

I looked around, and the adults started to applaud, the girls with some tears. Alison gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and I smiled.

"Aria, Hanna, and Spencer. You guys have been there for me whenever I needed it. If I ever texted SOS, you showed up right away. You have offered me without a doubt to spend the night at your house, even a school night. Which, I thank the parents for as well. I'll talk about that soon. Aria, you have been there when -A wanted to torture us, when we were both stuck in some places together, you helped me out. Spencer, when I saw you and Aria freezing, I thought I would lose you forever. I am beyond grateful that I got to save you. Without you Spence, our plots against -A never would've been successful. You were the mastermind behind those plans. Hanna, when my parents moved to Texas, you were the one to bug you mom to let me stay there. Out of all the girls, you were always the closest to me. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you." I thanked them.

The girls got up and we all exchanged a huge, tearful hug.

I addressed Toby next, "Toby. First of all, you are so amazing to my best friend, and I can never repay you. You were always one of my friends, I always believed that you were and are a great person. I knew that you were misunderstood by many, and I was determined to change that judgement. You have helped me in many ways Toby, thank you." He got up and hugged me.

I talked to Caleb next, "Caleb. You were the one to hack into things, and prove us innocent. You watched out for Hanna when we couldn't and were there to support her. Through tough times, the two of you have pulled through together. You are such a great guy to be around, and I thank you."

I addressed Ezra next, "Ezra. At first, when I found out about you and Aria, I was surprised. Many of us were. You were an amazing teacher, and helped me out when I wrote essays and with college. Thank you for taking care of Aria, through the ups and downs of your relationship. I can tell that you two truly from the beginning, are soulmates."

Ezra nodded and stated "Thank you."

"Mom and Dad, I love you guys. You were there when I came out of the closet, literally. You have supported me with Alison, and my past relationships. You have always raised me to be a great person, and encouraged me throughout my life. Without you, I wouldn't be the person I am today." I stated.

"We love you Emmy." My mom replied.

"I love you to." I replied.

"Ella, Ashley, and Veronica. You have allowed me to stay at your homes countless times, and even long term stays. You have raised amazing daughters, and are always great people to me, I love you all." I stated.

They nodded their thanks and I accepted hugs from each of the women.

"Ted, I really don't know you to well. What I do know, is that you are a great man to Ashley and Hanna. You make Ashley happy, which makes Hanna happy, and that makes me happy. Thank you." I explained.

Ted nodded his thanks.

"Now who's ready for some meatloaf?" I asked.

Many eager faces looked up at me as she took care of the kids dinners.

The adults all dug into their meals, and soon after, they were gone.

Alison began doing the dishes, while everyone else soon resumed talking.

Aria POV:

"So, how have you been mom?" Aria asked.

Ella replied, "Well, I have been to England, Ireland, France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Spain. Each of the countries have brought me many cool souvenirs, but well, we'll have to see what happens with your gift.I have met amazing people, but before you ask, not any love interests. I have toured the countries, and experienced some fabulous food. I got a job as a community changer, where I get to help children and these places in need. I have built and designed schools, contributed ideas on how to make the society a better place. Plus, I get paid for doing all of this. I'll head back to Norway and continue one of my projects there after this trip. I'm starting a coffeehouse there, a community there needed a place where they can all hang out."

"I'm so proud of you mom." I said, a few tears forming in my eyes.

"Thank you." She replied.

Spencer POV:

"How are Melissa and Wren?" I asked my mother.

"They're coping, Wren is searching for a job, he just lost his. Financially, they aren't doing great. Bethany is now 10, Aaron is 6, Matt is 4, and there is a little one on the way. Melissa is now 8 months pregnant, they're expecting a baby girl. The kids are all healthy, and are very social. Bethany plays volleyball, and Aaron does soccer. Matt is just entering preschool, but apparently has a girlfriend." Veronica explained.

"Wow. I'll have to pay them a visit soon, I haven't seen Matt since he was two. I'm sure they've all grown up so fast. I need to see my niece as well, but it'll be hard, flying with Mikey." I replied.

"Yes indeed, I'll go with you, they need all the help they can get. Melissa is on maternity leave from her job, no income is coming in right now." She stated.

"Did you see anything cool in England?" I changed the subject.

"Yes, I saw Big Ben actually. Wren took me there." She replied.

I nodded and smiled back.

"Toby, we'll have to go see Big Ben!" I pointed out.

"I've always wanted to." He agreed.

Hanna POV:

"So, how's Florida treating you?" I asked my mom.

"Great, I love waking up to the beach every morning. It's really hot there, much hotter than Rosewood in the summer. It was definitely something we needed to adjust to. Sunscreen is an essential! I put on a whole crapload the first time I went out to the beach, and still managed to come out with a sunburn." She explained.

"I'll definitely have to bring Bella out there, she'll love it! I might even have a whole additional suitcase, just for sunscreen!" I exclaimed.

"Oh lord." Caleb said.

Ashley and Ted soon started laughing, and I pouted.

Ted asked,"You do realize Hanna, that you can buy the sunscreen there?"

"Oh." I blurted.

"We have to work on less packing my love." Caleb added.

"But what if we stay for a month?" Hanna asked.

"I would love to, but based on the load we'd have to carry, no." Caleb replied, shaking his head.

Emily POV:

"Dessert anyone?" I asked.

Alison and I walked into the dining room with an assortment of cookies, including chocolate chip! I also made a cookie dough ice cream cake to go with the cookies. Aria made a dozen snowmen cupcakes, which were amazing! The dessert would surely fit enough for 14 people.I tried some of each dessert, a cupcake, slice of the ice cream cake, 2 chocolate chip cookies, and 3 sugar ones.

As soon as Alison saw my plate, Alison said "Easy there!" She stole a chocolate chip cookie from my plate, which she knows is my favorite. I pouted, and looked over at her. Alison had unfortunately already devoured the cookie. The children were by far the most eager about their desserts.

Bella grabbed 6 sugar cookies, and 2 chocolate chip. Immediately, Caleb and Hanna put all of them back. "Didn't you want the ice cream cake?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah!" Bella replied.

Caleb cut her a small slice and Bella seemed extremely satisfied. I helped Sarah to a cupcake and chocolate chip cookie, and she sat back down as well. The two younger boys seemed extremely excited about the desserts, and just couldn't decide what they wanted. This left Spencer and Aria to choose for them, leaving some more pouty faces from the children. One word could immediately turn their frowns upside down. I looked at the adults and whispered the word, and they nodded. The girls each grabbed their tote bags, and on three we shouted, "PRESENTS!"

The children raced towards us like some hungry tigers. They abandoned their snacks, just for the presents. Gee, children just loved the word presents, and the knowledge of receiving some pretty cool things. I had to make this present giving as organized as possible.

"Alright, everyone can sit on the couch, and the children can sit on the floor. Aria, Spence, and Han, you can join them on the floor. Ezra, Caleb, Toby, Ali, get on down here! Alright, so here's how its gonna go: The children get their gifts first, than the adults can give out the rest. Present time!" I announced.

Aria, Spence, Hanna, Ali, my parents, and I, gave Sarah her things first.

First, Sarah opened Ali and I's present.

"Go ahead baby girl." Ali encouraged.

Sarah tore apart the wrapping paper, to reveal a whole Dora cooking set. There was a stove, and some plastic food as well. This was all lifesized, about 3 feet tall. "Woah!" She shouted.

"Your welcome!" Alison and I replied.

"Set it up now!" She demanded.

"Later." We replied.

The Dora theme was popular, because Sarah's aunties and grandparents got her Dora things as well.

Sarah had got Dora's home, Dora dolls, Dora's castle, more Dora's friends' dolls. She even got Dora dressed up as a mermaid. Alison and I exchanged a look, we were in for trouble.

Mikey was next. He had received toy cars, even a huge Thomas the train! Spencer looked very excited, potentially more excited than Mikey. As soon as Ali and I came across the Thomas the Train at toys r us, we knew it was perfect for him.

Bella received her gifts next. There was a Minnie Mouse kitchen, similar to the Dora one that we got for Sarah. Ashley and Ted had sent the kitchen to Hanna's house, and Hanna brought it for her that night. From Hanna and Caleb, Bella got a singing Elsa doll, a singing Anna doll, and a singing Kristof doll. Seeing Bella's huge grin, you could tell that she was in love. She also got a Doc McStuffins lawnmower, along with more Frozen accessories.

Jonathan got a lawnmower as well, a little tikes t ball set, a leapfrog tablet, and leap frog games.

The kids were over the moon about their gifts, but now it was our turn.

Alison walked over to me as she handed me my gift, and I hers.

Everyone eagerly watched us as we opened our gifts.

I tore open the bag to see boxing gloves, a boxing dvd, and a note saying "Go downstairs to the gym."

I headed downstairs, and gestured everyone to follow me. I opened up the door to the gym, and saw punching bags, a stand for the bag, headgear, and footwear. I had told Alison that I wanted to start boxing, it seemed extremely therapeutic. I gave Alison a huge hug, and she said "Merry Christmas."

We all went upstairs, as it was time for Ali to open her gift. She tore the bag open, and saw a Michael Kors bag. She had been admiring it in the store forever, I knew that she wanted it. She stood up to give me a hug, but I stopped her, there was more. I handed Alison another bag, and she tore it open, there were 3 Naked palettes from Sephora, and a few lipsticks. "Thank you so much!" Alison exclaimed, and we exchanged a kiss.

Spencer and Toby stood up and handed the 3 couples, Ali and I, Aria and Ezra, and Hanna and Caleb a gift. Spence said "Go in the middle, and open it at the same time." The adults and I obeyed and tore open our gifts in sync. They were Keurig coffee makers! There was also a package of the K-cups taped to the box as well.

"Thanks Spence!" We said in unison. Spencer ran over and sat in the middle, before Toby could join, she whispered "Throw the wrapping paper at him!" All of the couples took fist fulls of wrapping paper, and tossed it at Toby.

He burst into laughter and soon crumpled to the ground "I give up!" He surrendered. Soon, the other kids got the same idea, and began to throw wrapping paper at Toby as well.

Spencer helped Toby up, as they exchanged their personal gifts for each other. Spencer had received a Michael Kors bag, and a new briefcase. Toby had gotten new supplies for his job. Spencer got Veronica tickets to France, Veronica has always wanted to see France.

Aria and Ezra gave everyone their gifts next, which included our parents. We each got the trilogy, or series, that Ezra had wrote. Attached to the books was a $50 Starbucks gift card, but this additional gift card was only on the girls+I and Aria's mom's gift. I thanked Aria and Ezra, as they exchanged their personal gifts for each other. Ezra had gotten Aria a journal, with B-26 embroidered in it. Also, Ezra had gotten Aria a Michael Kors bag, and Sephora makeup as well. He had also got Aria brand new Uggs, with a bailey button on the side. Ezra had received a $100 Barnes and Nobles gift card, along with writing also got a personalized hoodie that said "Aria's forever" across the front. Aria had gotten Ella a pair of Uggs, and a Michael Kors crossbody.

Hanna and Caleb gathered the three couples around and handed each an envelope. Inside, were two tickets to St. Martin. Hanna and Caleb held up two tickets of their own to St. Martin as well. The trip was for a week. "Thanks so much guys!" We chorused.

"So, are you guys in?" Hanna asked.

"We're down for it!" Ali said and we both nodded.

The other couples agreed as well.

Hanna had gotten Ted and Ashley tickets to Rosewood for two weeks, and Ashley received a Michael Kors bag as well. Ted had gotten Ashley some Sephora makeup, and gift cards. Ashley got Ted some important symbolic items to his religion.

All in all, the couples had a fabulous Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, it was around 8:00, and time to send the grandparents to their hotel. They would return in the morning, but everyone was sad to see them go. Once the couples had all exited, the girls and I put the kids to sleep. Alison had blown up small air mattresses for Sarah, Bella, Mikey, and Jonathan.

Aria POV:

I went inside of the bag I brought for Johnny, and grabbed out his favorite stuffed animals. Once I handed the stuffed animals to him, he quickly clinged onto them. I pulled out all of his blankets, and one by one put them on him, and tucked him in. I pressed a cheek to his forehead, and bid him goodnight. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Okay, if you need me, your Aunties, Uncles, daddy, and I will be around, okay?"

"Okay." He yawned.

I gave him one final kiss, as I looked to the other girls, who nodded, and we crept downstairs.

"Ready?" The guys asked.

"Ready!" We exclaimed.

Em and Ali led us down to the basement, where Em and Spencer engaged in a game of pool. Ali had showed the guys the bar, and reminded them not to drink so much. The guys took out the shot glasses, and we told them to go get changed in their pajamas first. The guys headed to each of the 3 bathrooms to get changed. The girls and I all got changed in the basement, and we waited for the guys afterwards. We had to monitor the guys like crazy. Soon enough, the guys crept back down, shirtless. I smacked Ezra and told him to throw on his shirt. The rest of the guys quickly obeyed. There were children in the house, and we had to be responsible adults.

We all started talking, as we waited for Em and Spencer to finish their game. When the girls returned, Hanna suggested, "How about we play never have I ever?"

"We have to be responsible." Em scolded.

"Yeah." I agreed. "We shouldn't play."

"You guys are no fun." Hanna pouted.

Spencer said "We could just have a couple of shots."

Em shook her head no, grabbed the alcohol, and locked the cabinet of it.

"We aren't 18 anymore." I pointed out. "Well, and some of us aren't 25 anymore." I added for Ezra's purpose.

"Okay." Caleb said.

Everyone nodded and agreed, it was 10 years later, we have to be mature.

"So, do you guys know when the class reunion is?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure its in February." Spencer answered.

"Oh okay." I replied.

"How do you guys feel about seeing everyone again?" Em asked.

"I don't want to see Noel." I said.

"Well, I don't want to see Paige." Em added.

Ali began to reassure Em by rubbing her back.

"Do you think anyone will even come?" Ezra asked.

"Probably not. Plus, Travis will be there to." Caleb added.

"Yeah, I don't want to see Travis." Hanna agreed.

"Andrew Campbell will be there to.." Spencer started.

"Whats wrong with Andrew?" I asked.

"Oh right." I answered my own question.

"Wait what do you mean?" Ali asked.

"Did you ever tell her?" Hanna asked.

"I dont think it ever came up.." Em chipped in.

"Just tell the girl!" Toby exclaimed.

"Well, I had Andrew over and we were studying. So I told him for every answer we got wrong, that we had to take an item of clothing off." Spencer said.

"Oh." Ali said.

"Oh's right." Hanna added.

Spence flashed Hanna a look.

Toby switched back to the previous subject, clearly uncomfortable. "So, you guys shouldn't be excited for this reunion, but its in 2 months, no worries."

"I know Tobes, high school just brings back bad memories for us." Spencer replied.

We all nodded in agreement.

-A ruined our lives during that period of time.

After for talking for what seemed like 30 minutes, I checked the time and it was 10:30.

"We've gotta go ladies." I stated.

"Aww.. why?" Caleb whined.

"Did you know, they're putting me on the couch?" He added with a pout. They was gesturing to Toby and Ezra.

"Aw, poor baby." Hanna said sarcastically.

Ali went upstairs and called out "Come on girls!"

I said goodbye to Ezra, and gave him a quick kiss. "Check on the kids." I reminded the guys.

"Be careful." Caleb added, and we nodded back.

I jogged up the stairs to Ali, and went up to where the kids were. They were sound asleep, gratefully. I closed the door and headed back to where the girls were now standing. They each had their own flashlights, and Ali tossed me one. We slipped on our shoes by the back door, and linked arms. Together, we turned on our flashlights, and ran up the staircase to the treehouse. I grabbed the knob and twisted it. We went inside the treehouse, to the pillows on the floor. I sat down and grabbed a pillow, and placed it behind me.

"Do you think that -A could get us while we're sleeping?" I asked.

"I don't know." Spencer whispered.

"Lock the door." Hanna commanded.

Em stood up and locked the doorknob, next she locked a series of locks on the doors. She shut the windows, and locked them as well. Everybody was silent.

"I'm really tired." Ali stated.

"Me too." Spence agreed.

"Guys?" I asked.

"Yeah?" They asked.

"If we hear any noises in the middle of the night, who do we wake up?" I asked.

"Everyone." Emily whispered.

"Okay." I replied.

Spencer came over and squeezed my hand, "It'll be okay." She said.

"Okay. You'll be the first person I wake up, since you're the closest to me." I whispered.

"Okay." She responded.

I climbed up on the bunk on top of Hanna's and said "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight." Spencer returned.

"Goodnight." Hanna, Ali, and Em jinxed.

Before I knew it, I quickly fell asleep.

All of the sudden, I heard banging in the treehouse, I opened my eyes, and the time was 2:32 am. "Spence!" I whispered. I turned on my phone and texted Ezra 'Code red.'


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:Thank you so much for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! Be prepared for this intense chapter :)!

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

Spencer came over and squeezed my hand, "It'll be okay." She said.

"Okay. You'll be the first person I wake up, since you're the closest to me." I whispered.

"Okay." She responded.

I climbed up on the bunk on top of Hanna's and said "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight." Spencer returned.

"Goodnight." Hanna, Ali, and Em jinxed.

Before I knew it, I quickly fell asleep.

All of the sudden, I heard banging in the tree house, I opened my eyes, and the time was 2:32 am. "Spence!" I whispered. I turned on my phone and texted Ezra 'Code red.'

Ch 2

Aria's POV:

"What?" Spencer asked groggily.

"Someones in the tree house." I whispered.

"Shit." She whispered.

"Ali!" Spence whispered.

Alison spun around to face Spence,"Someone's in here!" Spence whispered.

Ali reached over to the wall, and pressed a red button, a shelf that was protected by glass rolled out, and Ali opened it. There was a knife, and something to whack someone with inside of the glass.

Ali held up a finger to her lips. She grabbed the side of the bunk bed, and softly slid down. She walked over to Spence and grabbed her hand, and set her softly on the ground. Ali came over to me and did the same procedure. Spencer and I went behind Ali into the next room. A black hooded figure stood in the room, saw us, and opened the door. The figure leaped over the staircase. Luckily, Ezra ran out, and hopped on top of the figure. Ali, Spencer, and I ran down and unmasked the figure. Hanna and Em saw us and started to run down the stairs as well.

A familiar face of a brown haired boy, with the same features as.. Mike.

Mike was -A.

Or not..

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Let me go." Mike demanded.

"No." I answered.

Emily threw down the duct tape, and I caught it. I tied up Mike, and stood by him with Ali. Em went inside to get the other guys. We had to use a flashlight to see, since it was so dark. Caleb and Toby came outside and immediately ran to our sides. They looked at Mike in disgust.

"Where should we put him?" I asked.

"Put me?" He asked.

Ali held the knife to his neck, and that shut him up.

"In the tree house, we can't wake the kids up." Ezra said. The three guys let us go upstairs, carrying Mike after them.

Ali held the knife to his throat the whole way.

Once Mike was set down, we all demanded answers. "What the hell are you doing in my tree house?" Ali asked.

"Well, you dragged me here." He replied.

"You know what we're talking about." Toby said in disgust.

"Why did you come at 2:30 in the morning, and enter Alison and Emily's backyard? Did you know we would be here? Mike?" I asked.

"I came for a reason." He replied.

"You better tell us." Caleb snarled.

"Or what?" Mike asked.

"Or this." Alison said and made a motion with the knife.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, what the hell are you doing in my treehouse?" Alison shouted.

"I was asked to come here, and take Alison." He replied.

Emily stepped in, "By who?"

"I can't tell you." He replied.

"I bet you can." She retorted.

"Mike." I said, trembling.

Hanna and I both exchanged a look, as she squeezed my hand.

"Mike, were you trying to hurt Alison? Were you sent to kill her?" I asked.

"I don't know who, okay?" He replied.

"We aren't letting you go, until you tell us." Caleb replied.

"I don't have time." Mike stated.

"Well, now you do." I retorted. I exited the room and climbed up the bunk, sobbing.

"We'll take care of it." Ezra and Spencer stated.

I buried my face into the pillow, and I felt a pat on my back.

"Aria?" Spencer asked.

"Spence." I weakly replied.

Spencer climbed up the bunk and held onto me, and took me down to where Ezra was.

I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing.

"Aria." Spencer said, tears forming in her eyes.

I looked at Ezra, and then crumbled.

I sobbed into Ezra's chest, as Spencer squeezed my hand.

"Aria, we love you. But we have to go back and find out why your brother is here." Ezra said calmingly.

"Do you want to stay here?" Spencer asked.

"No." I replied.

"I want to come with, and find out as well." I added.

Ezra laced his land with mine, and Spencer followed us as we walked back into the room, where everyone else was. The girls saw my tear stained face, and gave me a look that says 'its gonna be okay, but we aren't going to hug you right now, because of the situation'. I nodded back to them, as we developed some sort of mental communication skills.

"Why are you here?" I repeated.

Mike said, "help me up."

"Why should we?" Hanna asked.

"I need to show you what I recieved on my phone." He added.

We all exchanged hesitant looks, until Ezra and Caleb lifted Mike up, and snatched his phone. "Password?" Ezra asked.

"0623" He said.

"Ali's birthday." Emily whispered.

"Why is your password Alison's birthday?" She demanded.

Alison's face went flushed, much like the rest of ours.

"You have to look at the text to find out." He answered.

I was honestly very annoyed at his short answers.

Ezra showed us his recent message from a blocked number, 2:25 am:

Go to Alison and Emily's treehouse, 1267 Applewood Drive. In the backyard attached to two Douglas Firs is a treehouse. Go up the spiral staircase and use the key under the mat. You may find some other people besides Alison and Emily that you know as well. I want you to take blood from each of the girls, including Alison. Bring the blood samples back to the address we've met at. -A

"Shit." Alison said.

"Did you take any blood?" Toby demanded.

Mike didn't answer.

"Did you take any blood?" Toby repeated.

"Answer me!" He bellowed.

"No." He replied.

"They must've heard me, right when I arrived." He added.

"Good." Ezra replied.

"You were right Aria." Ali replied.

"Thank you." She added.

"I had a bad feeling about tonight." I said.

"Where have you been Mike?" I asked.

"Away from Rosewood." He answered.

"Don't you see? That answer isn't good enough!" I yelled.

"I'm going to ask you again: Where have you been?" I repeated.

"I've been in Europe." He replied.

"Have you been in touch with Mom?" I asked.

"No. I hate that woman!" He yelled.

I just couldn't help but cry. The other girls were crying as well. I looked at everyone, and we all, except Ali gathered in a circle. She still had the knife pressed up to his throat.

Ezra whispered, "We'll keep him here, in the closet."

Everyone nodded in agreement and turned towards me.

"Okay." I said.

"The parents will be here in a few hours." Emily commented. "Do you want to tell your mom?"

"No." I replied.

"We'll let him go when the time is right."I added.

Ali handed Emily the knife, as we all discussed the plan with Ali, who agreed.

Caleb and Ezra, once again, lifted up Mike and shoved him into the closet.

"Don't. Scream." Caleb whispered with a smirk.

I checked the time, and it was 3:30. We all gathered in a circle.

"So." Alison said.

"So." Hanna repeated.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep." I stated.

"Me either." Em agreed.

The guys looked at each other and Toby said "We're sleeping in here, if we even sleep. The three of us will take turns watching who comes in and out."

"Thank you." I replied.

"Is it okay with you guys?" Ezra asked.

"Yes! I need some sleep, and I dont want anyone to try to hurt us." Hanna agreed.

"Same as Hanna." Em and Ali agreed.

I looked at Spencer who said, "Alright."

"You guys took care of the presents right?" Em asked.

"Yup, they're all there. We bought dividers to tell whose is whose."Caleb replied.

"Thanks." Hanna said with a smile.

"Of course princess." Caleb played with the word he once used all the time.

"I love it when you call me that." Hanna replied.

Hanna went over to give Caleb a peck on the cheek, and we all headed back to the room. I climbed up in the bunk and sat there wondering 'What'll happen to the kids? What'll happen with Mike?' After a while, I plugged in some earbuds and turned on some music, and fell fast asleep.

"Good morning!" Someone exclaimed.

I groggily opened my eyes, and Ezra was peering over me. I checked the time, and it was 8:30. The other guys were doing the same thing, peering over their wives. I decided to wake Em and Ali up after a stretch or two. Once they were up, Ezra looked at me with a grin.

"No worries, we made everything." He reassured.

The girls and I were supposed to get up at 7:30, and start cooking the eggs, pancakes, bacon, cinnamon rolls, waffles, and home fries. "Thank you." I replied.

Caleb shouted "Come on ladies! The parents are coming in less than 30 minutes!" The 5 of us looked at each other, and immediately shooed out the guys, and started getting ready.

Hanna complained that all of the sockets were full, and she couldn't plug in her straightener and hair dryer. "But I need to straighten it!" She whined.

Em rolled her eyes and unplugged the alarm clock, and a few phones. Hanna smiled and started to straighten her hair in the middle of the bedroom. "You know, you could always go inside the house." Em pointed out.

"But that's no fun." She pouted.

I laughed and threw back my head. Em, Spence, Ali, and I were all ready. Hanna was still fixing her hair. While Hanna took a quick bathroom run, Em unplugged the iron and packed it in the depths of Hanna's suitcase. The suitcase was practically a black hole. Clothes were carelessly thrown everywhere, in the mix of appliances, and makeup. Hanna came out, and noticed that her straightener was gone. She began to growl and looked around the room, searching for guilty faces. "It was either Em or Ali…" She guessed.

"It's 8:59!" I shouted.

Em and Ali both raced down the stairs, laughing the whole way.

"It was Emily!" She shouted at the girls.

Hanna soon tried to run , which doesn't really work well in 10"heels. Than Hanna made a shocking decision. She threw me her heels, and ran down the stairs and across the grass. She had landed right in front of the girls, and gave Em the death stare. Spencer and I both looked down from the stairwell and laughed, we sprinted down, and the five of us headed inside at exactly 9:00.

We were greeted by the adults, who were already sitting at the table.

"Merry Christmas!" We chorused.

"Merry Christmas!" they replied.

The kids were dressed, sitting down, and smiling at the kid table. There was plates and silverware already set out, and plates of food were already on the table.

"Merry Christmas!" We chorused.

The kids just smiled back, as we shrugged.

"Wow, thanks for all this food girls!" Ella exclaimed.

"Well actually, the credit goes to the men in the house, minus Ted." Hanna explained.

"Oh really?" Wayne asked, looking back at the guys.

"Well, we are pretty great." Ezra started.

"Yeah, that is something very true." Toby agreed.

"I say we have a toast to us and Christmas." Caleb decided.

So, the girls and I sat down, poured our drinks and had a toast "To our husbands; and Christmas!"

The toast was also "To Toby, Caleb, and Ezra!", along with "To my son in law!"

We were a complicated family, but I loved everyone here, and thats all the matters.

After all, blood doesn't make a family. If you love someone, than they are your family. Friends are family to.

I dug into some eggs, bacon, a waffle, and homefries. I have to say, the guys did a pretty fabulous job. That was a well deserved toast, after all, they helped us throughout the night.

I turned to Hanna, and whispered "Mike."

"Shit." Alison whispered.

"Excuse me, is everything okay girls?" Pam asked.

"It's all good, Hanna just left her straightener plugged in." Em made up.

"I'll grab the extinguisher!" Caleb declared.

"Excuse us!" We chorused.

The ten of us headed out into the treehouse, while Ezra chanted "one, two, three."

He opened the door, and out came Mike.

"Jesus." Mike whispered.

"We've decided to leave you in the bathroom instead." We announced. The guys carried Mike to the shower, and lay him inside the tub. The guys duct taped the curtain to the ground and on the sides. There was no way Mike could get out.

We headed back inside, and Alison slipped the knife in her pocket.

"What if they see the knife?" I asked.

"Here." Spencer said, and grabbed a bandana. Ali wrapped the knife in a bandana, and we ventured back to the dining room table.

"Hello again!" Ali announced.

"Hello!" Ashley repeated.

Our parents had already finished their meals, but politely waited while we finished ours.

Once again, Emily called out the familiar word that drew in the kids attentions "PRESENT TIME!"

The kids all grinned, as Emily led them to the tree.

We all turned around in our seats, while Ali filmed, to see excitement on their faces. Emily helped them open their gifts and such. After each piece of wrapping paper was peeled off, the kids flung it at Toby once again. They giggled, while Toby couldn't help but laugh as well. The same as before, the adults got a good laugh as well from their enthusiasm. Once the kids had finally finished their present opening, there was a series of Dora, toy cars, Doc McStuffins, Frozen stuff, etc on Emily's living room floor.

Spencer, Hanna, and I headed back to our homes momentarily, to grab totes, bags, and boxes to put the toys in. Once we returned with all of the totes, bags, and boxes, the guys then loaded the boxes. We helped carry them back to our respective homes, and all that was left on the floor was a trashbag of wrapping paper.I had definitely enjoyed hanging out at Em's for the night, and we weren't leaving quite yet.

The parents however, had made plans with their friends in Rosewood for today.

"Goodbye my love!" Ella said as she went up to give me a hug.

"I just wish I could see your brother again." She said, as I exchanged looks with the girls who had overheard what they said.

"Bye Mom, thanks for everything, and what you gave to Jonathan." I replied.

Ezra exchanged a hug with my mom as well as she whispered something in his ear.

Ella walked up to Emily and Alison, hugging them as well. She waved to Pam and Wayne, and gave Ashley a hug. I made sure to hug the rest of the parents before they left as well. About five minutes later, the kids, and the 8 of us were alone again. Ezra, Ali, Spence, and I headed to the treehouse, while the others stayed with the kids.

"We'll be there soon." Hanna whispered in my ear.

As we approached the bathroom, the knob easily turned. Ezra held up in his hand, as he advanced to the tub. He pulled the shower curtain to the right, and revealed an empty tub. I stood there, shocked. Mike was gone. Ali and Spence went to search the rest of the house, a knife firm in Ali's hand. "He's gone." I croaked.

"I'm so sorry Aria. This is all my fault, I should've been watching-" He began to apologize. I held up my hand, silencing Ezra. I sat there and tried to remember the last time that I saw Mike.

I woke up groggily at 4:00 am, Sunday. My throat was really dry, so I crept downstairs to get some water. I saw a familiar black coat, and black shoes creep out of the door. "MIKE!" I screamed. I turned the door knob and raced outside, to see Mike's car pulling away. "MIKE!" I screamed back. He rolled down the windows, and shouted "I love you!" Mike drove away, as I tried to run, and chase his car. The car sped up and before I knew it, he was gone. "ARIA!" My dad yelled. I turned around and my father was standing at the front door. "What the hell are you doing outside?" He yelled. He looked at the empty spot in the driveway and asked "Where's Mike?" That's when I explained the whole story to him, the police searched his room. There was no goodbye letter. Mike then became a missing person, and may have been gone.. forever.

END OF FLASHBACK

"It's not your fault." I whispered.

Ali and Spencer returned to the bathroom, "He isn't here." Spencer stated.

"Yeah." I whispered.

The other girls and guys came upstairs. They entered the bathroom to find Aria on the floor with Ezra, Ali, and Spencer.

"Where is he?" Toby demanded.

"He's gone." I muttered.

We were all silent, as a sudden chime of all 8 of our phones went off.

"Wondering where your brother is?" I read.

"You will never know." Spencer continued.

"I guess that's just what happens.." Toby continued.

"...when you go behind my back." Ezra added.

"I guess you won't ever get.." Hanna started the next sentence.

"...your precious information." Caleb continued.

"Oh well." Emily said.

Ali finished, "Kisses -A."

"Wow." I breathed.

"Wow's right. This bitch is after us once again, and won't stop at anything." Ali stated.

"Yup, he started with taking Mike…" Em started.

"What if it's worse than before?" Spencer asked, horrified.

We all curled up together for support and guidance, as we realized that we have to head back to the kids. The guys headed back inside to help the kids pack, and gather their things. Meanwhile, in the tree house, I gathered my things in silence. My tote was full, along with my overnight bag. Once we had all finally finished, we scanned around to double check that we had all of our belongings. The girls and I headed back inside to our respective loved ones, and said our goodbyes.

"Thanks again Em." I said.

"No problem, I'll text you guys later." She responded to us all. I grabbed Jonathan's hand, as we hopped and the car, and drove across the street. Ezra helped carry my things into the house, and I headed straight upstairs to unpack. I put all of my things away successfully, and went to Jonathan's room.

"Hi baby." I greeted.

"Hi mama." He replied with a yawn.

Soon enough, Jonathan began to fall asleep, so I tucked him in for a nap.

I went into the master bedroom to find Ezra there as well.

I plopped onto the bed and faced the celing. "What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

Ezra lied down on the bed as well to join me, as we just laced our fingers together and lay in silence. All of the sudden, my phone went off, so I leaned over to the nightstand and turned it on.

Ali: What are we going to do?

Han: -A's back, back again.

Spence: That sounds like a rhyme.

Em: Yeah Spence, Han isn't as dumb as you think.

Han: Hey! Thanks but, hey!

Me: I'm just trying to relax.. but I can't.

Ali: I miss you guys.

Spence: But we just saw you.

Ali: I still miss you though.

Me: Miss you guys to.

Han: Lets do a wave.

Spence: Head to your bedroom window, pull the shade up Aria.

Me: okay.

I looked up from the phone, and there was Spencer waving out the window. I waved back, and I must've looked really sad, because Spencer pouted. I continued to text as I stood out the window, and made occasional eye contact with Spence.

Spence: R u okay?

Me: Yeah I'm fine.

Ali: Are you sure, it was pretty intense in my backyard..

Me: Honestly I'm still in shock.

Em: We know.

Han: We 3 you Aria.

Me: Ik love you guys 2.

Ali:Dinner plans?

Me: Nope.

Han: None.

Spence: I'm free.

Em: Yes.

Ali: Come on smart ass, we live in the same house.

Em: It was worth a try.

Me: *laughs hysterically*

Ali: My point is: meet me at the grille at 5? I'll make reservations.

Me: Sounds good.

Han: Yup.

Spence: cya there, kids or no kids?

Ali: No kids.

Spence: husbands or no husbands?

Ali: No husbands.

Spence: :( okay.

Em: I'm gonna be a rule breaker and bring my husband!

Ali: Nice try em

Me: You're making my day :)

Em: Your welcome

Spence: You were supposed to answer with "anytime, love you!" or 'glad to be a help!'

Han: Not everyone follows the proper grammatical and ways of saying things rules

Spence: OH, do you mean you han?

Han: I'm outside your door, waiting.

Spence:*ooo im so scared.*

Me: Shes actually there spence, i just looked out the window

Em: Han, spence, knock it off.

Han: She started it.

Em: I dont care.

Spence: fine

Em: don't be difficult with me young lady!

Han: You're not my mother!

Ali: STOP IT GUYS! EM, A WORD PLEASE!

Em: You'll have to talk to my husband about this word we're having.

Ali: Cut it out.

Em: Cut what out, my husband?

Me: Woah. pretty intense, poor Jerry. :(

Ali: Who is Jerry?

Em: My husband.

Ali: What does Jerry look like?

Em: He has dark brown hair, brown eyes, dimples, and freckles.

Ali: Wait that's the guy from down the street..

Em: Whoops, Ali came to my house. Gotta go, cya later.

Han: Bye, good luck!

Me: Don't kill Em, please.

Spence: Bye Em!

I waved goodbye to Spencer, as I shut the blind, and put my phone back on the nightstand. I checked the time, it was 4:30.

"Hey Ez, I'm heading to The Grille for dinner with the girls, Toby, and Caleb will be coming over." I announced.

"Okay, have fun." He called back.

I quickly got ready, and applied some of my new makeup. I hopped into my car and drove to The Grille. I looked into the car mirror, and noticed that all of the girls cars except Hanna's were already there. My eyes scanned the Grille, as I joined Ali, Em, and Spence in a booth. Shortly after I arrived, Hanna slid into my side of the table as well.

"Why are we here?" Han asked.

"To talk about what happened this morning." Ali replied.

"I know, but we already discussed it, why are we bringing it up again?" She asked.

Before more could be said, a waitress came to ask for our drink orders.

All of us ordered Cokes, and we quickly resumed our conversation.

"Why did -A need Mike to get the blood? I asked.

"Maybe because… I don't know." Spencer tried to think of a logical solution.

"A bigger question is, why did -A need the blood in the first place?" Em asked.

"To prove us 'guilty' of a crime we didn't commit." I answered.

"Mona." Hanna blurted.

"-A wants to link us to Mona's death." She finished.

"Oh." Spencer replied.

Spencer continued, "So -A wanted Mike to get the blood, maybe to feel good about it. He wanted someone to be blamed for Mona's crime. Maybe -A would compare the blood samples for him, to let him see if Aria, or one of us did it. Mike wanted to be satisfied."

"It does make sense." I agreed.

"-A could do even greater things with more of an impact with our blood as well." Alison stated.

"What if Mike.. What if Mike actually took the blood?" Hanna asked.

"Well, did any of you feel sick or couldn't feel your arm when you woke up?" Em asked.

We all said no.

"Yeah,and if he took the blood, don't you think we would've noticed?" I asked, trying to make this situation have a solution.

"Anything can happen with -A. -A has done some many things we thought were impossible." Spencer pointed out.

"True." I agreed.

Em reminded us, "There wasn't any hint that Mike gave as well, none that would potentially lead us to -A."

Hanna added, "I wish he gave us more information."

"It would've been helpful." Ali agreed.

Before we knew it and could continue our conversation, the waitress arrived back at our table. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, I'll have the Fettuccine Alfredo." I ordered.

"I'll have a caesar salad." Em stated.

"Make that two." Hanna agreed.

"I'll have the chicken parmesan." Spencer ordered.

"I'll have the Grille burger." Alison decided. We all passed our menus to Ali,and she handed them to the waitress with a smile.

We resumed our conversation once the waitress left.

"Okay, so what if we find Mike?" Spencer suggested.

"Are you crazy?" Em asked.

"We could encounter -A again, and I don't want you guys getting hurt." Em added.

Ali leaned over and squeezed her hand.

"Em, we might have to." I pointed out.

"Agreed, we need to find out answers. Blood could've been taken from us." Han said.

Ali agreed, "Em, we have to."

"Okay, but whatever we are going to plan, we NEED to stay together." Em said hesitantly.

The girls and I nodded, knowing that everyone needs to be okay with this.

"Alright, so now that we all agree, we need a plan. Spence?" Han concluded.

"I'm working on it, but what do we tell the guys?" Spencer asked.

"Good question." I replied.

"We tell the guys the truth." Han said.

We all looked at her, urging her to continue.

"When we were 18, we already hid enough from them. They are our husbands. They have a right to know. This doesn't mean that they go with us. Caleb can be beneficial, Toby can watch out for us, and Ezra can.. do whatever he does." She emphasized.

"Yeah, Ezra would be furious if I didn't tell him." I agreed.

"Sounds good to me, we have kids to worry about now to." Ali added.

"I think the guys deserve to know as well." Em concluded.

"So its settled, kind of. We still need a plan, how are we going to get the information?" Spencer asked.

"The way you always do Spence." Han replied.

Spencer cocked her head to the side, confused.

"Clues.. duh!" Hanna exclaimed.

Spencer POV:

I shook my head at Hanna's comment and chuckled.

"I guess we'd have to go back to the old days, 10 years ago. We'd have to put ourselves in our old shoes." I stated.

"Ew." Hanna said.

"Not literally, Han." I rolled my eyes.

I waited for a response, but much to Emily's relief, she remained silent.

"Let's go back to the conversation we had with Mike, and remember exactly what he said." Aria suggested.

We all tried our best to put ourselves in the situation we were in this morning, and reimagine what occurred.

Flashback:

We all exchanged hesitant looks, until Ezra and Caleb lifted Mike up, and snatched his phone. "Password?" Ezra asked.

"0623" He said.

"Ali's birthday." Emily whispered.

"Why is your password Alison's birthday?" She demanded.

Alison's face went flushed, much like the rest of ours.

"You have to look at the text to find out." He answered.

I was honestly very annoyed at his short answers.

Ezra showed us his recent message from a blocked number, 2:25 am:

Go to Alison and Emily's treehouse, 1267 Applewood Drive. In the backyard attached to two Douglas Firs is a treehouse. Go up the spiral staircase and use the key under the mat. You may find some other people besides Alison and Emily that you know as well. I want you to take blood from each of the girls, including Alison. Bring the blood samples back to the address we've met at. -A

END OF FLASHBACK

"Remember, how Mike's password was Ali's birthday?" Em asked.

"Yeah." The rest of us chorused.

"Wait, did Mike leave with his phone?" I asked.

"I don't know.." Han replied.

"Crap! The guys could have it.." Aria started.

"I'm going to call Toby, Excuse me." I announced.

"I'm calling Ezra." Aria blurted.

"I'm calling Caleb." Hanna added.

We excused ourselves, to the corner in the Grille. Hanna started to pace around the Grille, her phone tied to her hand. Aria and I gave each other some space, as we called our husbands. Luckily, Toby picked up on the first ring.

Him:Hello love?

Me: Hey Tobes, I just had a question.

Him: Is everything okay?

Me: Yeah, Its just.. did you guys do anything with Mike's phone?

Him: Oh, uh..

Me: Toby please! It is really important!

Him. *sighs* Caleb has it.

Me: Thanks babe, I'll cya later.

Him Wait what's going-

I quickly hung up, and told Aria, who approached me, "Caleb has it."

"Okay." She responded.

Hanna walked over to us, silent, and we returned to the booth.

"Well?" Ali demanded.

"Caleb has it." We chorused.

"The phone." I added.

"So, what's going on?" Em asked.

We all turned to Hanna, who started to explain.

"Caleb found some information-"

Hanna was cut off as the waitress came out with our meals.

Once she walked away, Hanna continued. "-he found out that Mike has been in contact with CeCe, Jason, Melissa, and.. Mona."

We all looked at each other with horrified faces.

"But Mona's…" Aria began.

"I know.." Han replied with a sigh.

"I thought.." I started.

"We thought, that she was.." Ali began.

"Dead." Emily finished.

"Well obviously not, unless -A has pretended to be Mona.." Han replied.

"We have to get to your house- ASAP!" I stated.

"I know, but we kind of have to finish dinner first." Hanna replied.

We all agreed, I was pretty this situation was beyond crazy and involved with Mike, and Jason, with CeCe? The thought made my stomach churn. I looked down at my Chicken Parmesan and just fell for it. I dug in quickly. We ate in silence, and soon enough, we all finished. Aria offered to pay, but we all tried to tell her it was too generous. In the end, Aria and I ended up splitting the bill, and payed for everyone. We headed home, in a straight line down the roads. I decided just to park the car across the street from Em's house; my home and immediately go to Hanna's.

I ran across the street and went into Hanna's home. She was waiting there with the door open as each girl entered.

"Caleb! The girls are here!" Han shouted.

Caleb came down the stairs, and greeted us with a wave.

He began to head upstairs, when Em called out "Not so fast, we know you had the phone."

He sighed and waited for us to continue.

"We want information; now." Ali demanded.

Caleb didn't reply, and looked at Hanna for confirmation.

Hanna nodded, and Caleb gestured for us to follow him up to his office.

His familiar laptop was turned on, tons of data was popping up throughout the screen.

As of right than, Mike's phone was turned off.

Caleb held up the phone, and typed in the password 0623.

He then plugged in the phone into the computer.

"Alright, so on here, it says that Mike was in contact with Melissa, CeCe, and Jason yesterday. Here is a group chat that occurred yesterday, between the four people." He explained and let us see the messages on the computer. The girls and I immediately surrounded the computer.

Jason: Mike, is the camera installed.

Mike: Good to go, it's all set up under the dresser.

We paused and I looked at Em "The tree house." I whispered, and she nodded. I focused my attention make to the screen.

CeCe: Good, those bitches need to pay.

Melissa: Glad to here. Meet me at 1041 Second Street, tonight, 11:30.

Mike: Okay, and then I head to Location B correct.

Melissa: Yes, approximately 3 hours afterwards.

Location B must be the tree house, I figured.

Jason: Take blood from each and everyone of them. They need to pay.

Mike: Heading to the location Melissa, and you bet I will.

That was it. The girls and I made eye contact. "So, he lied. The -A message was fake. This means that one of the people he is colleagues with, could be -A." I stated.

The girls nodded.

"What about Mona?" Em asked.

"You said he was in contact with her to." She urged.

Caleb nodded and pulled up even more messages.

"Just between him and Mona." He stated.

The messages went as follows:

Mona: Bring me the stuff, same location as Melissa hopefully described. Bring it to me as soon as you exit location B.

Mike: 9:32 am: I'm outside, the girls trapped me in the treehouse. I escaped.

Mona: Good, the door is unlocked.

Mike: Okay, I individually labeled each container.

Mona: Do the girls know you took the blood?

Mike: Not a thing.

Mona: Excellent.

"HE TOOK THE BLOOD!" Hanna yelled.

"That little-" She started.

"Bitch." I finished.

"Liar." Ali added.

"Just like we were called; bitches and liars." Em pointed out.

"Skunk Bag." Aria finished.

We all looked at Aria.

"What?" She asked.

"He's my brother, I had to use a polite word." She finished.

"Sure." Hanna scoffed.

Caleb chuckled, and soon the rest of us did to.

"But, he seriously took the blood. Mona or whoever 'Mona' is, has it. This person could make us seem pretty guilty." I concluded.

All of the sudden, there was a pounding on the door. We all headed downstairs, and opened the door.

Two police officers stood at the door, "Hanna Rivers, Aria Fitz, Alison Fields, Emily Fields, and Spencer Cavanaugh, you are under arrest." They stated.

"Why?" I asked.

"For the murder of Mike Montgomery." The officer replied.

"Fuck." Caleb muttered.

"Fuck is right." Hanna added.

"Don't worry girls, I'll let the guys know, we're getting you help. I'm calling your mom Spence!" Caleb called. There were 5 different cars, and the officer threw me into one of them.

"Hey!" I screamed.

Hanna was thrusted into a car as well, the same with the other girls.

"Han!" I screamed.

"I love you." She shouted back.

The door slammed against me, as I realized, I am going to prison.


	3. Chapter 3

One Big Happy Family:

Previously:

Two police officers stood at the door, "Hanna Rivers, Aria Fitz, Alison Fields, Emily Fields, and Spencer Cavanaugh, you are under arrest." They stated.

"Why?" I asked.

"For the murder of Mike Montgomery." The officer replied.

"Fuck." Caleb muttered.

"Fuck is right." Hanna added.

"Don't worry girls, I'll let the guys know, we're getting you help. I'm calling your mom Spence!" Caleb called. There were 5 different cars, and the officer threw me into one of them.

"Hey!" I screamed.

Hanna was thrusted into a car as well, the same with the other girls.

"Han!" I screamed.

"I love you." She shouted back.

The door slammed against me, as I realized, I am going to prison.

Ch 3

Spencer POV:

Well my life is great, considering I was just thrown into a cop car. The officer was silent the whole way. I watched, as I passed through the town that I call home; Rosewood. What would Mikey be thinking? Toby doesn't even know- I just wanted to say goodbye. Don't cry Spence, I kept repeating to myself. I couldn't look like I was weak. I'm assuming they'll separate the girls and I, put us in different cells. When I looked back out the window, I saw the Rosewood Police Station. An officer introduced himself as Officer Smith. He told me that I would be questioned shortly, before deciding whether or not to contact my family. The officer put cuffs around my wrist, as he led me to a familiar room. I sat down in the chair on one side of the questioning desk. I would never know, who would show up on the other side. A familiar face, Lieutenant Tanner came in to question me.

"Ms. Hastings, how nice to see you again." She commented.

"Now, this is your second felony. The second murder you've been accused of. This time, we are not letting you off easy. Your friends won't be let off easy either. Especially DiLaurentis, she's in the same position as you. Montgomery may have killed her own brother. You girls, the Pretty Little Liars, are some naughty people." She stated.

I gave her a death stare, waiting for my questioning. I never liked Tanner, none of the girls did.

"Can you just ask me questions now?" I asked.

"Well, okay." She replied.

"Ms. Hastings, where were you, today, and the night before, when Mike Montgomery was murdered?" She asked.

I cringed at the word 'murdered' and replied "I was at Emily Fields' house, with the other girls. I spent the night there as well. As for today, this morning I still remained at Emily's house. I briefly went home, before heading to the Grille at 5:00. I met the girls there for dinner, and we went back to Hanna's home." I explained.

Tanner toke some notes and nodded. "Okay, and Ms Hastings, did you see Mike Montgomery before his death?"

I thought about my answer, do I tell her about the encounter?

"No." I replied.

"I haven't seen Mike in years, ever since he first disappeared." I added

"Are you sure ?" Tanner asked, suspicious.

"Yes." I responded.

"Okay." She replied.

"I believe your lawyer is here." She said, and left me in the room.

I waited and had so many thoughts. What if she doesn't believe me? What if the other girls say they've seen Mike? What if the stories don't match up? I just sat there, in the cold, empty room. I stared at the while for a while, and all of the sudden, the door opened.

Veronica Hastings entered the room.

"Mom!" I cried.

"It's going to be okay Spence." She replied.

"How are the girls? What's going to happen?" I asked.

"The girls are like you, freaking out. They wanted me to tell you that the questioning went well. As for what's going to happen, they are testing samples of Mike's clothing, and some weapons that were believed to be the murder weapon." She replied.

"Am I going to prison?" I cried.

"Until I can prove you and the girls innocent." She replied.

"I only have limited time, but I promise honey, I'm trying my best." She added.

My mother came over and squeezed my shoulder in assurance.

She left the room, and the familiar officer entered.

He took me, and led me back to the car.

Surprisingly, the car passed the county jail, and we continued to the local prison.

He led me out of the car, and let the guards know about the Montgomery case.

They than led me with the officer to whatever cell I would be at.

An officer took me to a cell with 3 other women.

One looked about 60, another 40, and the other was a woman around my age, who immediately faced the wall.

"Cook, Smith, and Middlestein, this is your new cellmate, Cavanaugh. The guard threw me into the cell, and locked me into the cage. I hit the floor, onto my knees, and a familiar face helped me up. My face was down to the ground at first, and when I looked up, I noticed this familiar face.

"Samara?" I asked.

"Spencer?"She asked.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Spencer Hastings could never go to jail." She added.

"First degree murder." I stated.

She looked shocked and asked, "Who?"

"Mike Montgomery." I replied.

"That's not possible, you didn't do it right?" She asked.

"Of course I didn't! He's my best friend's brother!" I exclaimed.

"The other girls are in here as well, Alison too." I added.

"God that's crazy." She shook her head.

"How about you, why are you here?" I asked.

"Drugs." She replied.

I was taken aback, Samara and drugs? Though Emily did mention that something happened with the two one time..

"Marijuana, Crack, I took some." She added.

"They found me with a drug dealer." She said.

"Drugs, in Rosewood? I'm not surprised." I scoffed.

"My dealer is Lucas." She whispered.

"Lucas?" I asked.

"Yes, there are many things I did, after I left the state, that I'm not proud of. You'll have plenty of time to find out it seems though." She explained.

"What happened to you after you left PA?" I asked.

"Well, I was accepted to Stanford. Which is where I went to college. During those years, I dated an amazing girl for 2 years. Unfortunately, we broke up, due to a long distance relationship. I came back to Rosewood at the age of 22, and lived with my parents. About a year later, I got an apartment, and supported myself. I moved in with a girl, and after our breakup, my life was pretty tough. I was 24 at the time, and at a supermarket, I encountered Lucas. He was crazy Spencer, literally crazy. Something was wrong with him, he might be in Radley for all I know. He offered me drugs. My life was just so screwed up, and from then on, he was my dealer. He was scary at some of our encounters, really scary. About a month after my deal with Lucas, they caught us on the streets. Lucas was taken most likely to Radley, and well I'm here. I've been here for four years." She explained.

"Wow." I said.

She nodded.

"Are you sure," I paused and gestured to the two other women, "that they are cool with us talking?" I asked.

"Yeah, Regina, and Carol, meet Spencer." She introduced me.

"I'm Regina, I'm in for drugs." The younger of the two stated.

"I'm Carol, first degree murder." The old woman said.

"Like you." She added.

I stood there, horrified. That could be me in 32 years.

A guard came up the the cell suddenly, and I ran to a bunk.

"Cavanaugh, your trial is in two weeks." He stated.

He simply walked away afterwards.

"Cavanaugh? You and Toby?" Samara asked.

"Yup, we're married, and we have one kid; Michael. He's two." I stated.

"I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed.

"Thanks." I said.

"So, what do you guys do around here?" I asked.

"Well, we get out to go do lawn work." Regina stated.

"We've gotten to know each other very well." Samara added.

I went over to the same bunk I was previously in, and lied down.

I quickly fell asleep, as I had all the time in 14 days to.

Aria POV:

"He's my brother! You can't arrest me!" I screamed at the officer dragging me to the cop car.

"Alison!" I shouted at Ali, who was being put into the cop car closest to me.

"It'll be okay." She said.

"Ali!" I screamed.

Soon enough, the officer threw me into the car, and cuffed me.

I was going to jail.

I thought they were going to take me to actual prison, but the police car stopped at the local jail. I assumed that Ali and Spence were in the actual prison, based on being in jail/ accused of a crime before. Hanna and Emily would probably be in the same jail as me, just in different cells. The officer took my arm, and pulled me to a cell.

I was all alone.

ust a bed, and a nasty toilet.

I'm in jail.

What does my mom think?

I'm so stressed.

I might just have a breakdown in this cell.

I don't give a crap what the officers think, I will if I have to.

Soon enough, sanity came, and Mrs. Hastings entered.

"Veronica!" I exclaimed.

"Hello Aria. Emily and Hanna are here as well, but Spencer and Alison are in the actual prison. Your trial with the girls is in 2 weeks. I'm trying to get it moved up, at least for you, Emily, and Hanna. This is jail Aria it's serious." She explained.

I nodded, and waited for her to continue.

"In 3 days, you're allowed visitors. Ezra is beyond furious at the accusation, trust me. I have to go to the girls, any messages you wish to pass on?" She asked.

"Just that I'm okay." I stated.

"Alright, hang in there." Veronica stated.

The lights in the jail went out, and I went into a land of darkness.

Hanna POV:

My previous anxious mood just went to even more anxious! Literally, these cops show up at my house, and accuse Ali,Aria, Emily, Spencer, and I of murdering Mike. First of all, how the hell did they know we were all there? I knew the answer.. -A. Of course the police got some anonymous tip to show up at my house, isn't that just what -A would do? I was thrown into a cop car, literally thrown. The girls and I are separated, its terrible! Soon enough, we pulled up at the county jail. The guard grabbed me by the arm, and threw me into a cell. I sat there, in a cell, all alone. A orange outfit was laying on the bed. Orange is definitely not the new black.

The toilet looked disgusting! How can someone even use it? Ew.

Thankfully, Veronica Hastings appeared to save the day.

"Hello Veronica!" I greeted.

"Hello, Hanna." She returned.

"Okay, so Spencer and Ali are in literal prison. The other girls are here with you. I am trying my best to get you out, the trial is in two weeks. I'm trying to get it moved up, don't worry." She said.

"Are you okay Ms. Hastings?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm fine, sorry, I just have had to make this speech a lot." She said,

"Oh and Aria told me to tell you that's shes okay. Alright, I've gotta go, before visiting hours are over- oh and you get visitors in 3 days- I've gotta go see Emily." Veronica rushed out, leaving me dumbfounded.

I had no other choice, but to fall asleep, and I found myself in darkness.

Emily POV:

The girls and I were just discussing Mona, Melissa, Jason, CeCe, and Mike, and all of the sudden Mike is dead? I was thrown into a cop car and am now at the county jail. I was literally so stressed, and I miss the girls so much.

After sitting in my empty cell forever, Veronica Hastings appeared.

"Hi Emily." She stated.

"Hello Veronica." I replied and stood up to the other side of the cell, talking to Veronica.

"Okay, so Spencer and Ali are in literal prison. The other girls are here with you. I am trying my best to get you out, the trial is in two weeks. I'm trying to get it moved up, don't worry." She said.

"Also, Aria told me to tell you that she's okay." She said.

"Thank you ." I replied.

Veronica left, and I slowly went to my hopefully temporary bed, and fell asleep.

Ali POV:

Here I was again, in my old cell.

Veronica Hastings had just visited and stated "Okay, so Spencer is here with other girls are in the local jail. I am trying my best to get you out, the trial is in two weeks. I'm trying to get it moved up, don't worry." She said.

I am still really upset, but hopefully I'll see the girls soon.

2 weeks later:

Aria POV:

Veronica approached my cell, and swung open the bars. "Are you ready to go home?" She asked.

"Yes!" I grinned.

"Sit down quickly." Veronica stated.

She slipped on my ankle bracelet.

The jail had agreed that the 2 girls and I, could go home with our ankle bracelets. We would prepare for our trial later today, and this bracelet would monitor me the whole way.

Veronica led me out of the cell, as I saw 2 familiar faces.

"Han! Em!" I shouted.

The girls spun around and I sobbed into their chests.

"I've missed you so much." I whispered.

"I did to." Hanna stated.

"Me three." Em added.

Veronica interrupted, "sorry girls, but we've gotta go!"

The girls and I followed Veronica out to her car, as she drove us to our homes.

I took a deep breath, and walked into my home.

I rung the doorbell, and paced around.

"Aria!" Ezra sobbed.

"Ezra!" I yelled.

I ran up into his arms, as I he held me there for a while. He put me down, and I sobbed into his chest.

"Ezra it was terrible. It was so dark and cold. The toilet was horrible. I was all alone." I began to cry some more.

"I know baby, its okay." He said, and wiped tears off of my face with his thumb.

Ezra was crying himself, and it was hard for me to maintain control of my emotions.

He led me inside, as I sat down on the couch.

Jonathan came running to me all of the sudden.

"Jonathan!" I exclaimed.

"Mommy I missed you! Where did you go?" He asked.

"I went somewhere, but its all okay now baby." I explained.

"Daddy and I have to go somewhere today, okay? We're gonna drop you off at your babysitters, okay? The other kids will be there too!" I announced.

"Okay." He nodded.

I squeezed Ezra's hand, took a deep breath, and headed upstairs. I went inside the master bedroom and began to put on some of my most formal clothes, and ixnay the ones that didn't work out.I finally settled on an outfit, and started to apply my makeup. Once I was ready, I nodded to Ezra as we walked out hand in hand.

We dropped Johnny off at his babysitters place, and headed to court.

Ezra and I then stepped out of the car at the court location, and I finally saw the other girls. "Spence! Ali!" I shouted.

I ran up to the girls and gave them hugs, since I haven't seen them since reuniting. I let Ezra head to the other guys, as the 5 of us walked hand in hand into the court building. We each took a seat at the table in front of the judge, near Veronica. The guys were our witnesses. The judge looked extra serious, I looked around after I took my seat, in the jury were my parents, Byron and Ella.

"Attention to the court! Today we are here to discuss the murder of the Mike Montgomery. I send you my best the Montgomery's. Five girls: Alison and Emily Fields, Aria Fitz, Spencer Cavanaugh, and Hanna Rivers have been accused of this murder. Today we will discuss this case. First we will hear from Veronica Hastings, the girls lawyer." The judge announced.

"Hello, my name is Veronica Hastings. My clients are innocent. Alison and Emily hosted a Christmas party at their home. I was personally there, along with Ella Montgomery. The men who sit before you attended as well. The 5 accused girls were in the same home. The five girls had a sleepover at this same home, and I returned the next morning for Christmas." She stated.

"So, you are saying that you were with the girls the whole time?" She asked.

"Yes." Veronica replied.

"I stayed until 11:00 pm." She added.

"So, you were there when Michael was killed the next morning?" The judge asked.

"That is correct. According to your records, Mike was killed around 10:30 am. I was at Emily's house just before the common lunch time, 12:00." Veronica stated.

"Thank you, you may call your first witness." The judge stated.

"I'd like to call Ella Montgomery to my stand." Veronica said.

Ella approached from the jury to the stand.

"So you are Mike Montgomery's mother?" The judge asked.

"Yes, I am." Ella replied.

"I'm sorry for your loss, do you believe these girls are innocent?" The judge asked.

"100%." Ella truthfully stated.

"Continue." The judge announced.

"Where were you when Mike was killed?" Veronica asked.

"I was at Emily's house, having Christmas breakfast." She replied.

"When did you leave Emily's house?" Veronica asked.

"Approximently 11:35, I had texted my friend that I was leaving Emily's house, as I was visiting Rosewood for Christmas. I needed to catch up with them." She replied.

"Have you been in contact with your son over the past 5 years?" Veronica asked.

"No, I haven't seen him since 2019, the day before he went missing." She replied.

"That's all. I'd like to call Ezra Fitz, Caleb Rivers, and Toby Cavanaugh." Veronica announced.

"After the parents left, what happened?" Veronica asked.

"We sat around the house and talked, than advanced to the treehouse." Caleb replied.

"We spent the night in the treehouse, all 8 of us." Ezra added.

"We were up with the girls all night, none of us could sleep." Toby stated.

"That's all." Veronica stated.

"Okay, I'd like to hear from each of the suspects." The judge demanded.

"Hi, I'm Alison Fields. I hosted a party with Emily at my house for Christmas, we exchanged gifts and so forth. We spent the night at the treehouse and were there until the morning. The parents visited us 9:00-12 in the morning/noon, and the night before. We all knew Mike, I was frequently at Aria's house growing up. Mike was a great guy, he never harmed us, and he was very likable." Alison announced.

"Hi, I'm Emily Fields. I hosted a party with Alison at my house for Christmas, we exchanged gifts and so forth. We spent the night at the treehouse and were there until the morning. The parents visited us 9:00-12 in the morning/noon, and the night before. We all knew Mike, as Alison mentioned. The 5 of us were best friends growing up." Emily explained.

"Like all of the witnesses and the girls have described so far, I was at Emily and Alison's house. Mike was my brother. We weren't 100% close growing up, but we never fought. We had a normal sibiling relationship, and Mike never did anything to hurt me. I loved him so much, he was one of the most important people in my life. I would never hurt him, ever." I cried.

"That's all." The judge said.

"Does anyone else want to present any further evidence?" The judge asked.

Caleb stood up and said, "Yes your honor. My name is Caleb Rivers, Hanna's husband. I work for Apple. As you may know, any worker from Apple, can see every single text message sent on any person's phone. According to Aria, Mike had an IPhone. I managed to track down his text messages from those hours, if you would like to see them, your honor."

"Yes please." She said.

Caleb walked over and handed her the papers.

"Well, these papers provide enough evidence, I declare these girls, not guilty of this crime; innocent!" She declared.

I ran and leaped into Ezra's arms. The girls and I exchanged hugs as well.

"Wait." The judge said.

My heart sunk.

"But, I do have new suspects." The judge announced.

"CeCe, Jason, and Melissa; does anyone know who they are?" She asked.

"Melissa Kingston is my daughter." Veronica stated.

The judge made a note.

Ali continued as the judge had her pencil ready, "Jason DiLaurentis, my brother. CeCe Drake was one of my close friends."

"So, Melissa was is Spencer's sister?" The judge asked.

"Yes." Spencer answered.

"Mrs. Fields is connected to Ms. Drake and Mr. DiLaurentis." She announced.

"Okay, thank you. You are all dismissed." She declared.

I excused myself to Ezra, and went up to my parents.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered.

"I didn't know that he just died." I stated.

"It's not your fault." My father reassured me.

"We haven't seen him in so long." My mom pointed out.

"Keep in touch, okay?" I asked, individually hugging them.

"Okay." They replied.

I ventured back over to Ezra, as we laced our hands together. Once we were outside, Ezra picked me up and spun me around in the air.

"Woah!" I yelled.

He set me down and gave me a quick kiss.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He replied.

We walked outside together, and hopped back into my car.

"I missed New Years." I stated.

"It's 2025." I added.

"Oh babe." Ezra said sympathetically.

"It wasn't your fault that you were accused of murder; you would never do that." He announced.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"I was thinking we can leave John for a little longer and go out to dinner." Ezra suggested.

"Okay." I murmured.

" Is The Grille okay?" He asked.

"Sure." I replied.

"Are you okay?" Ezra asked.

"Well, let's see, I was accused of murder. I was in jail for two weeks! My brother died." I snapped.

I just couldn't handle it and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"It's okay sweetheart. We can go back home and pick up Jonathan, we don't have to go out." He assured.

"No, it's alright, a night out is just what I need." I agreed.

Ezra started the car, and we drove to the Grille.

We sat down at a booth for two, and a waitress dropped off our menus.

"So, I've had some new book ideas!" Ezra announced.

"That's great sweetheart!" I encouraged.

"Alright so, there's this misunderstood girl in high school. Everyone is afraid of her, and thinks she's someone she isn't. One day, a guy just steals her heart, and sees the real girl." He announced excitedly.

"Woah! That's amazing babe!" I grinned.

"I'm so happy for you! Another bestseller, I bet!" I added.

"I sure hope so." He nodded.

We both scanned the menu, and tried to figure out what we wanted to order,

A waitress came and interrupted our conversation, "What would you like to drink?" A familiar voice asked.

"It can't be." I whispered.

I looked up and saw a familiar African American girl, with brown eyes, and dark curly hair. She was the same height as many years ago. "Maya?" I asked.

"Aria.. I can explain." She said.

"How are you here?" I wassed {whisper asked}.

"I was never dead Aria." She stated.

"Excuse me." She added.

The waitress-Maya disappeared, and I looked at Ezra with wide eyes.

Maya came back without her uniform, and scooched into the booth next to Ezra.

"Please Aria, I'm begging you. Let me explain." She pleaded.

"Okay." I nodded.

"But, we should go back to my home." I added.

"Okay, I can drive, I'll grab my keys and-" She began.

"No, you can ride in our car." I demanded.

"Alright." She whispered.

I nodded at Ezra, as we rose from the booth, and the three of us hopped in the car.

Ezra drove, Maya riding shotgun, and I sat in the back.

On the way to my home, I texted the girls. "SOS, my house immediately. There's a key under the door, I'm on my way home."

I shut off my phone, and slipped it back into my signature Michael Kors purse. I took a deep sigh, as I approached my home. I opened the door, and saw 4 familiar faces. Maya stepped in behind me, and said "Hello."

"Maya?" Emily whispered.

"It's me Emily." She answered.

"Oh my god." Emily whispered.

She broke down to the floor, and put her face in her hands, soon enough, Em was crying. "Please explain." She whispered.

"I figured I owe you guys an explanation, so here I am." Maya stated.

"We ran into her at The Grille. Can you guys sit on the couch? I'll be right there. I'll take your coat Maya." I announced.

I hung her coat up on the rack closest to my front door, and sat on the couch with Maya and Ezra across from the girls.

Before Maya could start, we were interrupted by the doorbell.

The guys filled in the door, and I stood up with Maya.

"Crap." Caleb whispered, making eye contact with Maya.

"You guys can join Ezra on the couch, Maya and I'll sit in some chairs." I said.

I sat down in a chair, and pulled it closer to everyone.

Maya POV:

"Alright everyone." I announced.

"I'm ready to share, starting with the day I 'died'." I added.

"Okay, so apparently I died that day, obviously I'm alive. That morning, I was kidnapped. I was doing my makeup in my bathroom for the day. I reached into my makeup bag, and all of the sudden, I was snatched. -A put a bag on my head, and took me away. I was left in an abandoned home. I was fed somewhat. -A ordered me to spill information about you guys. I didn't want to. I refused for so long, and was beaten. I made up fake information that this -A person seemed to buy. Who was -A you may ask? Well, I'm assuming you know that A's assistant was Johnny. That little son of a bitch stalked you forever." I explained, and looked around for questions.

"How did you find out it was Johnny?" Spencer asked.

"Well, once day, I hid in a closet in the abandoned house. When -A would usually come to feed me, I came out, and pinned -A to the floor. I discovered it was Johnny, who I didn't know at the time. He told me his name and everything. I told him to let me go, and he did. I grabbed my things and ran, ran from the place I was held in for a year. I contacted my family, and my aunt from California took me in. I couldn't stay in Rosewood. I finished high school there. No one in Rosewood could know what happened to me, I just didn't want rumors to continue. That's why none of you knew. Everything was normal, no one knew I was Maya, who was killed. I reinvented myself in California, and went to Stanford for college. I never had any longer term relationships there, none important. Than one day, my ex did research on me, and exposed me to everyone in the town. I was forced to leave California. I took a plane to Texas, and stayed there for a little while. I continued taking buses and transportation across the country, until I got back here. I figured it was time for me to explain. I needed to come back to my home. I got a job as a waitress yesterday. It was a coincidence that I ran into Aria and Ezra." I described.

"You should have told me." Emily stated.

"I know and I'm sorry." I apologized.

"It's too late for apologies." She whispered.

I nodded, understanding Emily's frustration.

"Any more questions?" I asked.

No one else spoke up.

"So, how have you guys been?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Well, Em and I are married, and have one kid; Sarah." Alison began.

"Ezra and I are married and have a little boy Jonathan." Aria stated.

"Caleb and I are married and have a one kid; Isabella." Hanna announced.

"Toby and I are married and have a little boy Mikey." Spencer said.

"Wow, that's great! I'm so happy for you guys!" I exclaimed.

"How was the rest of high school?" I asked.

"-Aful." Spencer said.

"I encountered Johnny when my mom was renting the barn to others. He seemed really nice, we vandalized Hollis together. Toby and I were at a tough spot in our relationship at the time. Johnny had kissed me, and was arrested for the vandalism. He got out of prison about a month later, when his sister bailed him out. Johnny came back, and expressed his feelings towards me. He snuck into my house one night, and tried to hurt me. The girls were there to. They helped defend me, and we captured him. We forced him to reveal why he was in our house, and discovered that he was -A." Spencer added.

"God, that's terrible!" I exclaimed.

"It was a really hard time for us." Hanna agreed.

"Where did you all go to college?" I asked.

"Well, I went to UPenn, as expected. Aria went to NYU. Hanna went to her dream fashion school, though she was accepted to Ivy League as well! Em and Ali went to Stanford." Spencer announced.

"Cool." I said.

Wow, cool Maya, that's the best you can do? I thought.

There was an awkward silence, and I stood up to grab my coat.

"You can't leave." Emily commanded.

I spun around, and cocked my head to the side. "I thought you wanted me gone." I stated.

"No." She whispered.

"Oh." I said.

"Well, I'm going to still leave." I announced. I grabbed out my notepad, and wrote down my number. "Here's my number." I stated, and handed the piece of paper to Aria.

I walked out the door, and started to walk to the Grille.

"Wait!" Aria cried.

"I'll drive you back to the Grille." She added.

"Okay, thank you." I nodded my gratitude.

I hopped into Aria's car, as she drove me to the Grille.

Emily POV:

Maya thinks she can just show up, and everything'll be okay. I loved her. I thought she was dead. Maya didn't give an explanation to why she didn't contact me. At least not a good enough explanation. Ugh. I felt so crappy. None of the other girls can understand what I'm going through right now. My ex just 'came back from the dead.'

"Are you okay Em?" Hanna asked.

"No." I replied, and curled up into Alison.

"That was just.. wow." Spencer stated awed.

"I never expected her to be alive." I agreed.

"No one did." Ali reassured.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Everyone who supposedly 'died' because of -A, just keeps coming back." Hanna said.

We all nodded in agreement, as Aria interrupted our moment of silence.

"So, that was your SOS?" I asked Aria.

"Yeah, we encountered her at the Grille, and I needed you guys to know whatever she was going to tell me." She explained.

"Do you guys think Mona is alive?" Spencer asked.

"It's possible." Hanna suggested.

"We should find out." Ali agreed.

"Guys! That's crazy? Don't you remember how hard it was before…?" I asked.

"Calm down babe, you said you'd be cool about this." Ali pointed out.

"I know, I'm sorry guys. Maya just came back from the dead, so." I apologized.

"We get it Em." Aria assured.

"I say we track Mona." Spencer stated.

"Let's do it. We need answers, I need answers." Hanna agreed.

"Okay." Aria nodded.

"Are you cool with it Em?" Ali asked, concerned.

"Let's do it." I agreed with a soft smile.

We all looked towards the guys, waiting for their answer.

Soon enough, they were talking it over with a whisper.

Toby nodded and announced, "We're in."

The girls and I did a small fist pump into the air, the Pretty Little Liars were back again, after all, we were never gone.

"Ezra and I'll keep watch. I still have my police skills in tact, and 2 guns if needed." Toby added.

"I'll try to dig up information on Mona, and if you find any device, I'll take care of it." Caleb stated.

"Alright, so Operation Find Mona is ready to go?" Hanna asked.

We all nodded, and I asked, "When do we start?"

"As soon as Caleb tracks Mike's phone, and finds some of the locations 'Mona' told him to meet 'her' at." Hanna said, with air quotes around Mona.

We all looked at Caleb, expecting him to add something.

"I'll start right now." He added.

"Has anyone had dinner yet?" Aria asked.

"No." We all chorused.

"Well now you have plans." She added.

"Did everyone leave the kids at the babysitters?" Spencer asked in a worried tone.

"I took care of it, they're staying overnight." Ezra reassured all of the mothers.

"Thank you." Spencer thanked Ezra.

He nodded, "Anytime."

"So, lets spark up the grill!" Ezra exclaimed.

"Well since the kids aren't here.. how about a round of 'Never Have I Ever'?" Hanna suggested.

I smirked, and added "We'll save it for later."

"Okay." Hanna agreed.

"Alright, what types of cheeses? We have American and Cheddar." Ezra asked.

Hanna, Caleb, Alison, and I chorused"Cheddar!"

Meanwhile, Spencer, Aria, Toby, and Ezra had agreed on American.

"Well, I guess you can assume we're having burgers." Ezra stated.

"I have mushrooms, bacon, onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, pickles, onion rings, relish, mayo, green and jalapeno peppers." He counted off.

"You can all help yourselves once the time comes, this isn't a restaurant." Ezra added with a smile.

"Be right back." Aria stated and beckoned Ezra.

They exited the living room, and went downstairs to their craft room. They came back with a chalkboard and chalk. Aria wrote across the board 'Operation Mona' and drew a line under it.

"Lets get started!" She exclaimed.

Spencer POV:

"Let's do it tonight." I announced.

"Tonight?" Em asked with wide eyes.

"The kids are gone, it's a great opportunity." Han agreed.

Caleb came walking into the living room, and announced "I have a location."

"Perfect." I pointed out, gesturing to the girls.

"Tonight sounds great, right Em?" Ali asked.

"Okay." She whispered.

"Can I see the chalk?" I stood up and asked Aria.

"Sure." She nodded and passed me the chalk.

Aria went to the side of the couch I was sitting on, while I took her place.

"Okay, Toby'll probably have to go back to my house for equipment." I started.

"We'll leave from here." I stated, and drew a circle with a 'A' on top of it. I drew a line to another circle with the letter 'B' above it.

" 'A' is where we are right now, 'B' is where we're going." I explained.

"One of the locations was mentioned in Melissa and Mona's texts: 1041 Second Street. We could start there." Caleb suggested.

"Sounds good to me." I agreed.

"Are there any other locations?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, I'll text them to you guys." He stated.

"Okay." I said.

"We should have a signal, incase anyone gets lost." Aria suggested.

"How about a bird call?" Emily asked.

"Sure." Aria nodded.

"So, whenever one of us are lost, we do the bird call?" Hanna asked.

"Yes Hanna. Thats what we just said." I pointed out.

"Burgers are ready!" Ezra called.

I got up, and fetched my American cheese burger from Ezra.

I headed to Aria's kitchen table, where there was an assortment of toppings in bowls and plates. I loaded my burger with sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions. I added tomatoes and lettuce as well. I sat down at the long dining room table with the girls, as we took a bite into Ezras delicious, famous burgers on the count of three. I bit into the juicy burger and it was so amazing. The flavors just all mushed together in one bite. Ezra sure knew how to cook.

"This is amazing Ezra." I gushed.

"Thanks." He nodded.

I remembered how so many years ago, when Ezra owned The Brew. He insisted on hiring Talia, a professional chef. Ezra was such a great chef already, he didn't need Talia.

"They could've been more seasoned." Ezra commented.

"Oh please baby, they're amazing! Much better than Talia's burgers." Aria assured him. The girls nodded in agreement, except for Emily, who remained quiet.

"Sorry Em." Aria apologized.

Ali tensed up a bit, and seemed to drift off into memories of Emily, coming home sobbing after their breakup.

"Its okay." Emily reassured us.

I knew she wasn't fine though.

"You never gave us the scoop on Talia." Hanna stated.

"Well here's a story for you." Emily replied.

"You know how Talia and I met at The Brew. I hated her at first. I had just broke up with Paige, it was a hard time for me. Then we kissed. My feelings disappeared and were lost in the kiss. Finding out about Talia's relationship with her husband was terrible. I really liked her. It was hard to be in a relationship with a married woman. There was a big age gap too. When she told me that she loved me, I loved her too. I knew she was married. Her husband had told me that it was a fling, that it wouldn't last long. I knew that it couldn't last. I broke her heart a few days later, but it was for the best. It broke my heart too." She explained.

Ali flinched at some of this information.

"I never liked her." Ali muttered.

"Sorry babe." Em apologized.

Ali remained silent.

I finished my burger, while we all sat in silence.

"Operation find Mona time!" Hanna announced.

"Okay, are we ready?" I asked.

Everyone nodded.

We divided ourselves up into two cars, and set off to the abandoned location.

I rode shotgun next to Toby in the car, with Ezra and Aria in the seats behind us. The other girls and Caleb piled into Hanna's car.

I reached my hand into my pocket, and felt my pocketknife.

Just in case anything happened, I wanted to be prepared.

It would take us a little under an hour to reach our location.

Along the way, I tried to lighten the mood and talked to Aria and Ezra about their jobs.

Aria suggested that we play I Spy, until we reached our destination.

Soon enough, it was Toby's turn again.

"I Spy an abandoned house." He announced.

"Our destination." I answered.

Aria and I looked at each other, and I gave Toby a quick kiss.

"Be careful." He whispered.

I nodded and hopped out of the car with Aria.

Ezra took the passenger seat, and we crept up to Hanna's car.

Caleb went into the car with the guys, as I looked at the five girls.

"Wait!" Toby called out.

He reached in a bag, and handed me a gun. "Be careful." He repeated.

The girls and I walked together, up to the door.

My heart was pounding.

The door was locked of course, and I took a bobby pin out of Hanna's hair.

"Wait!" She protested.

Surely enough, I picked the lock. I crept inside, and gestured for the girls to follow.

The whole downstairs was empty. There was dust everywhere, and it smelled terrible.

By the looks of it, there wasn't a basement either. The girls and I walked around the empty floor, and Aria bent down, and picked up a dusty rug. There was a handle on the floor and Aria carefully pulled it upwards. It opened. She slowly set it back down.

"Follow me." She mouthed to everyone.

She held open the opening door, and we piled downstairs, except for Aria. She was very smart, and held the opening up the whole time. "I'm texting Ezra just incase, so he can come and watch as well." She mouthed.

Emily poked her face around the corner, and a familiar person was sitting in a desk, facing the wall.

"Mona?" Hanna asked.


	4. Chapter 4

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

By the looks of it, there wasn't a basement either. The girls and I walked around the empty floor, and Aria bent down, and picked up a dusty rug. There was a handle on the floor and Aria carefully pulled it upwards. It opened. She slowly set it back down.

"Follow me." She mouthed to everyone.

She held open the opening door, and we piled downstairs, except for Aria. She was very smart, and held the opening up the whole time. "I'm texting Ezra just incase, so he can come and watch as well." She mouthed.

Emily poked her face around the corner, and a familiar person was sitting in a desk, facing the wall.

"Mona?" Hanna asked.

Ch 4

Hanna POV:

"Mona?" I asked.

A familiar black haired, brown eyed face spun around.. Mona. She had bags under her eyes, ew. She had grown up, and looked different from 10 years ago. I gasped.

"Hanna?" She asked, and tilted her head.

"It's you." I murmured.

"It's me." She nodded.

We remained on the stairs, as Mona gestured for us to come downstairs.

"Come on down, join me on the couch." She stated.

I looked at the other girls and mouthed, "Do we go?"

Spencer and Aria nodded, as we proceeded downstairs.

One after the other, we sat on the couch, and Mona pulled her desk chair in front of the couch.

"10 years. 10 years since I've seen you." Mona murmured.

"It's been so long." She added with a smile.

"Cut the crap Mona. We want an explanation." Ali demanded.

"How did you find me?" She asked, ignoring Alison's comment.

"We ran into Mike, and received information." Aria explained.

"So you actually killed him?" She smirked.

"Of course not." I whispered.

"Good." She nodded.

"Where have you been?" Spencer demanded.

"Places." Mona answered.

"Tell us now." A voice bellowed from above.

Caleb came downstairs, with his arms crossed.

"As you wish." She retorted.

"I never died. Someone knocked me out, but didn't kill me. Instead, they "kidnapped" me. -A had used some of my blood, remember how Mike told you about that? The whole death was fake. It was used to make it seem like Alison killed me. Remember how you girls wanted her in jail? I wanted to make up for it and make you girls like would've been locked up for the rest of her life. My friend helped it all work, and form a murder scene. Mike you may ask? He's actually dead. I wasn't the one to kill him, -A was. No one was involved in making this a fake murder unfortunately. Questions?" Mona explained.

"You little bitch, putting my wife in jail." Emily sneered.

"Well, you did in fact hate her at the time." Mona pointed out.

Emily didn't make any comments.

"See? I'm always right." Mona retorted.

Caleb approached Mona and was about to take a swing.

"Stop baby." I demanded.

He backed away, but still remained cautious.

"He's feisty, that Caleb. I always knew you picked a good one *pause* Han." Mona returned.

"Don't call me Han." I whispered.

"But we used to be best friends, remember?" She asked.

"Not anymore." I sneered, and got up, and took a swing at her face.

"She's mental, let's get out of here." I announced.

"This was a waste of time." I added.

"Please Hanna, don't go!" Mona cried.

"I have so much more to tell you." She added.

"Well I don't want to here it." I stated.

"I do." Spencer whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"I do." She repeated louder.

"We should listen to what she has to add, it could be useful." She pointed out.

We stopped, and looked at Mona.

"Why did you want to blame the murder on Alison?" Emily demanded.

"I already told you, to make you guys happy." Mona answered.

"But why did you really?" She asked again.

"That bitch deserved to go down." Mona added.

"Did you love my brother?" Aria interrupted, killing the tension.

"Yes, I really did Aria. I had to let him go, he had to let go. It didn't make you happy that I was with him, I had to end it." She answered truthfully.

"Thank you." Aria replied.

"Why did you two hate each other so much?" Spencer asked, gesturing to Mona and Alison.

"I bullied everyone, Mona was an easy target. She was a nerd, and didn't have any friends." Alison replied.

"I hate Alison, because she treated me terribly, along with others. From the beginning, all I wanted to be was her friend." Mona stated.

Spencer nodded, "Okay."

"Why did you always bully everyone?" Aria asked.

"To make me feel better about myself." Ali cried.

"That's sick." Mona muttered.

"Why did you bully me?" Mona asked.

"I DID IT BECAUSE YOU WERE AN EASY TARGET!" Ali scram.

I jumped, not expecting that out of Alison.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore." Mona said.

"I was never afraid of you." Ali agreed.

"You were!" Mona exclaimed.

"When I scared you at your house when you were having 'hallucinations'!" Mona added.

"I was never scared." Ali repeated.

"Yes you were!" Mona yelled.

"STOP IT!" I yelled.

"Can we please just get answers?" I added.

The two became silent, as Ali let out a sigh.

"Who helped you with the murder?" I asked.

"Lucas." She replied.

"The drug dealer?" Spencer asked.

"Drug dealer! Lucas?" I exclaimed.

"That's crazy!" Aria agreed.

"Hermie was pretty cray." Ali agreed.

I flinched at the word 'Hermie."

"Has he been giving you drugs? Is that why you're mental?" Ali added.

"He hasn't been giving me drugs, but yes he is a dealer. He was in Radley for quite some time. I'm not mental, I'm honest." Mona summed up.

"I'm done here." Ali announced.

She stomped up the stairs, and went through the hatch.

We all looked at Emily, who we knew would follow. "Sorry." She whispered, and followed Ali upstairs.

"We should go." Aria whispered.

"Okay." I agreed.

"You know where to find me." Mona announced.

Caleb followed me and the two other girls upstairs.

We were greeted by Ezra, who was holding the hatch open.

Ali was at the door. "We should buy a lock, she's crazy." She muttered.

The girls and I headed to the cars in silence.

"I'm sorry babe." Caleb stated, breaking the silence.

"Thank you, what you did was great." I replied.

"I can't blame you for protecting me, protecting us." I added.

He nodded.

Alli remained silent.

"What went on in there Ali?" I asked.

"I hate her." She announced.

"Obviously." I pointed out.

I pulled out my phone and texted Em: Just because she's your wife, doesn't mean what she said was right.

Em looked at me, and I nodded.

"Ali, what you said in there, it wasn't right." Em stated.

"Did you say that just because Hanna asked you to?" Ali shot back.

"No babe. It wasn't okay for you to say those things, and Hanna agrees. She's right." Em replied.

Ali rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

I texted Em again: Someone's moody.

"Hanna!" Emily shouted.

"Just stop it!" She added.

I just sat there, and finally, we pulled into Aria's driveway.

Ali stalked across the street.

I looked at Em before she could do anything, and linked our arms together.

We headed to Aria's couch with the other guys.

"What Ali said in there was messed up." Aria started.

"Truthfully." Spencer agreed.

"It was." I nodded.

"Sorry Em." Aria reassured.

"It's okay. It wasn't right for her to say those terrible things about Mona." Em replied.

"I guess she was pissed." Spencer stated.

"Yeah she created quite the scene stalking across the street." I retorted.

"Can you believe that it was all just a lie?" I asked.

"It's crazy, for her to want our affection." Spencer added.

"I can't believe she's still alive." Aria agreed.

"-A can do pretty crazy things." Em agreed.

"What happened in there? Speaking for Ezra and I." Toby stated.

"Well, Mona's alive. She had someone- Lucas to be specific, help her fake her death. She had been drawing blood from herself over the course of the year before her 'death' to make it all possible. She wanted to set it up so Alison would be the blame. Mona did all of this to 'impress us'. She thought it would make us gain her trust, and she would become our best friend or something." Aria explained.

"That's sick." Ezra stated.

"Is she mental?" Toby asked.

"I don't know, but Lucas is." Spencer stated.

"Lucas?" I asked with a glare.

"Well, when I was in jail, I ran into Samara. She's been there for a while, for drugs. Lucas was her dealer, and she told me that he was pretty insane, like literally crazy." I explained.

"How's Samara been?" Em asked.

"She's holding up." Spencer replied.

"Lucas and drugs.. it doesn't make sense." I stated.

"I guess after Mona's 'death' he started to do some crazy things." Aria suggested.

"Yeah." I said.

"We my as well track down everyone that we were connected to in high school." Em chuckled.

"I should probably talk to Melissa, based on the texts, and Jason." Spencer suggested.

"Good idea." I commented.

"Maybe we'll gain more information." Aria suggested.

"Well, the class reunion is coming up in a couple of weeks.." Spencer started.

"Do you think Noel, Jenna, Sydney, Lucas, Andrew, and Paige will actually show up? Aria asked.

"Its possible." Spencer replied.

"What if Mona comes?" I asked.

"Then it'll be one heck of a reunion." Em stated.

"Agreed." Caleb announced.

"I'm going to call Melissa soon, but Em can you drag Ali across the street?" Spencer asked.

"Be right back." Em stated.

Within 2 minutes, a moopy Alison walked through the door.

"We're calling Melissa, and I'm going to call Jason." Spencer announced.

"Jason? Are you crazy?" Ali yelled.

"We need answers." Aria pointed out.

"I'm putting her on loud speaker." Spence whispered.

"Hey sis!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Hey Melissa, we need to talk." Spencer demanded.

"Well I have time-" She started.

"Now. Face to Face, in person." Spencer interrupted.

"Well you're going to have to wait till June.." She replied.

"You're coming to Rosewood, the quickest flight you can get." Ali demanded.

"Alison?" Melissa asked.

"It's me, and you need to come now." Ali replied.

"I'm on a flight tomorrow, see you then." Melissa whispered.

"One more thing, where's Jason?" Ali asked.

"Well, um, I don't know." Melissa replied.

"One more time, where's Jason?" Ali bellowed.

"In my home." Melissa murmured.

"Book him on your flight." Ali stated.

"Okay." Melissa replied.

Ali hung up the phone.

"My house tomorrow before Melissa gets in?" Spencer asked.

"Sure." We chorused.

"Great, and we will be expecting two guests." She added.

We all departed, and awaited the long day ahead of us.

The Next Day

Spencer POV:

I awoke to a fabulous breakfast in bed from Toby.

"Thanks babe." I replied.

I struggled to keep my eyes open, and looked at the time. It was 9:21.

"The kids!" I yelled.

Immediately, I ran to the closet, and began to throw on an outfit.

Toby was laughing behind me.

"What's so funny?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"I already picked Mikey up, he's sleeping." Toby chuckled.

"Ugh! But thank you." I stated.

"I still have to get ready though, Melissa gets in at 9:30, and my mom's dropping her off." I announced.

"Okay love." He replied.

I gave him a soft smile, and went to check on Mikey. He was fast asleep and cuddling with his favorite teddy bear. Toby and I, as we've always wanted, raised a beautiful little boy.

He even had a 6 pack!

I laughed at the thought, but then covered my mouth. I could've woken Mikey up, and that would've been a disaster! Yikes!

Soon enough, the girls arrived. A few minutes later, Melissa and Jason walked through the door as well.

"Hi Melissa!" I greeted with a hug.

"Hi Spence!" She returned.

"Ali?" Jason asked.

"Jason." Ali cooly replied.

"Well this is one heck of a reunion." Ezra commented.

"Please, come in, sit down." I said and gestured to the open chairs.

Melissa and Jason took a seat next to each other, and they looked around the room.

"Ali, Emily, Hanna, Aria, Ezra, Caleb, and Toby, why am I not surprised?" Melissa asked.

"Let's get straight to the point. Mike Montgomery died." Alison stated.

"We've heard." Melissa nodded.

"We know you've been in contact with Mike and Mona." I added.

Before Melissa could say anything, Hanna read her thoughts, "We know Mona's alive. We saw her yesterday."

Melissa took a deep sigh, "How did you find her?"

"We've had Mike's phone. He came in to our pre- Christmas party, and tried to take blood from the girls. Aria heard a noise in the tree house. We locked Mike up, but he escaped. Luckily, we took his phone. There were no messages on there except a fake -A message. I tracked down his messages, and discovered your locations. We went to the location and found Mona." Caleb described.

"Smart." Jason commented.

"Did you kill Mike?" Melissa asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking us this?" Aria muttered.

"Of course not! We were in jail for 2 weeks, accused of his murder!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." Melissa apologized.

"When did you come in contact with Mona?" Alison asked.

"About a year after her death, we received a message from Mona. CeCe did as well. We didn't know if it was true, it told us to meet at the location. We did, though we were concerned it was a trap. We found Mona, and she convinced us to work with her." Jason explained.

"Are you all -A?" Toby asked.

"No." Melissa replied.

"Do you know who is?" Ezra added.

"No, we've been trying to figure it out." Jason sighed.

"Why isn't CeCe here? I know I didn't say to bring her with, but still." I asked.

"CeCe has cancer." Jason replied.

Alison burst into tears. "Is it bad?" She asked.

Jason nodded, and put his head in his hands.

Jason stood up, and ventured over to Ali. Ali stood up, and gave Jason a hug.

"I've heard your family hasn't been doing well." I stated to Melissa, changing the subject.

"Did mom tell you?" She asked.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Yes, it's true. Wren is still looking for a job. My little one is due soon as well." Melissa stated.

"I'm sorry." I said.

Melissa nodded.

Jason and Melissa stood up together, "We have something to tell you." Melissa announced.

"That you're the father of Melissa's child?" Em guessed.

"You're cheating on Wren?!" I protested.

"You're moving to Rosewood?" Aria asked.

"Jason's permanently moving in with you?" Ali guessed.

"Can we talk to Hanna privately, along with Caleb?" Jason asked.

Hanna stood up, and looked at Caleb.

They walked hand in hand into the guest room.

Hanna POV:

I shut the guest room door with the 3 others, and there was a knock on the door.I opened it, expecting the girls. Instead, my mother, Ashley stood at the door. "Mom?" I asked.

"Hi Hanna." She replied.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"You're my sister." Jason stated.

"What?" I asked.

I started to laugh, "Caleb, do you hear him? As if I'm a DiLaurentis. Wow. Haha."

"Hanna." My mother scolded.

"Wait.. is it true?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes." She replied.

"Mom!" I yelled.

"Hanna let me explain, please." My mom begged.

I stayed quiet to hear the most important person in my life out.

"Before you came along, I was told that I couldn't have any children. The DiLaurentis' were such a great family, who were willing to give their baby too us. They didn't want anymore children. I always wanted a child. Then I found out the DiLaurentis' were having twins-"

"Wait, Ali's my sister?" I asked.

"-and you're my brother." I announced to Jason.

"Oh god." I said and buried my face in my hands.

"-they wanted to keep one of the twins. The DiLaurentis' didn't want me to tell anyone for so long, and when you became friends, it just happened." She finished.

"Why tell me now?" I asked.

"I wanted to tell you a while ago, but Jason left town. You and Alison weren't talking, now seemed like a good time." She explained.

I stomped out of the room and went downstairs.

"What happened?" Ali asked.

"You're my sister." I blurted in tears.

"What?" Ali asked in disbelief.

Melissa, Jason, and my mom came downstairs.

"Jason is it true?" Ali asked in tears.

"Yes." Ashley stated.

I explained the story to the girls, before they freaked out.

"How could you keep this from us?" Ali asked in sobs.

"It was right to tell you now." Jason replied.

"So, you're both my half sisters." Spencer stated.

"It looks like it." I pointed out.

"This is so messed up." Ali stated with a sigh.

"Agreed." I stated.

"I always wondered how I have blonde hair. My mom has red hair, and my dad has brown." I commented.

"It makes sense." Ali agreed.

"Rosewood is a crazy town." Aria said.

We all sat there, while I went over to Ali.

"I'm proud to be your sister." I whispered and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

"We should go out to lunch sometime Jason, so I can get to know you better." I stated.

"I'd like that." He agreed.

"How long have you known?" Ali asked Jason.

"Before the house was 100% sold, I went through your birth certificates. I discovered Hanna's in a hidden box. I have your certificate Hanna." Jason replied and passed me the certificate.

I looked at it "Hanna DiLaurentis." I announced with a deep breath.

"Ms. D is gone. Maybe I could find our dad." I suggested.

"Good luck with that." Jason retorted.

"No one has heard from him." Ali agreed.

"Oh." I stated.

"Yeah." Ali replied.

"Our life has been so complicated the last month or so." Emily announced.

We all nodded in agreement.

"Plus, our class reunion is coming up." Spencer agreed.

"Can this get any crazier?" I asked.

"I hope it calms down." Aria agreed.

"You never know, the impossible becomes possible in Rosewood." Melissa pointed out.

"True." I agreed.

The Reunion

Aria POV:

I turned around to see my handsome prince, in his nice tuxedo.

"Ezra Fitz, you look very handsome this evening." I complimented.

"As do you, Aria Fitz." Ezra replied with a grin, putting extra emphasis on the "Fitz."

I leaned in for a kiss, but the doorbell rang.

I blushed as Ezra pulled the door open to Hanna, Caleb, Spencer, Toby, Emily, and Ali.

I greeted the girls with a smile, and my cheeks still felt hot.

"Did we interrupt something?" Hanna asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, lovebirds." Spencer added.

"Stop." I laughed.

"Alright, time for pictures!" The parents chorused.

I turned around to see Ashley, Pam, Veronica, and my mother standing there with their cameras ready.

"Come on Mom, this isn't prom!" I whined.

She still, however, managed to get pictures.

Ezra led me to a spot with perfect lighting, and wrapped his arms around me.

We took what felt like 50 pictures, and then I got a group one with the girls. The guys got a group photo as well. Then, all of us gathered around for one final picture, and ventured off into our cars. Our moms stayed at the house to watch the kids, luckily.

We pulled finally pulled up to Rosewood High, and I took a deep breath. Ezra and linked arms while heading into the school. I looked around and spotted Mr. Hackett, talking to some other administrators. A familiar face was by the dessert table, Noel Kahn. I looked at Ezra, and let go of his grasp. I looked at the other girls, and directed them to Noel.

"Well if it isn't Noel.. Noel Kahn." Spencer spitted.

"The one and only." He replied with a smirk.

"Hello girls." He added.

The hello was not going to be returned, no matter what circumstances.

"Why did you come back to Rosewood?" Em asked.

"For the reunion." He gestured around the room.

"Well, we have some questions." I finished.

"Okay, like what?" He retorted.

"Why did you leave at the end of senior year suddenly? What's your connection to -A?" Ali asked.

He grabbed her wrist, and we followed him into the janitors closet.

"How do you know about -A?" He whispered.

"We asked first." Ali replied.

"-A contacted me a few times.. so what?" He returned.

"Why did -A contact you?" I asked.

"Something about Mona. What the hell is your concern?" He replied.

I looked around at the girls, and Spencer spoke up.

"-A's contacted us to." She stated.

"What?" He asked.

"We know." I agreed.

He ignored me, "To answer your first question, I left because -A told me to."

"Oh." Emily whispered.

"Yeah, whoever this person is threatened me." He whispered.

"You shouldn't be telling us this, it's dangerous." Ali whispered.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Let's go back out, before everyone notices." I suggested.

We all filed out into the gym again, and I headed to the dessert table.

A familiar girl walked hand in hand with another girl.

Emily had already approached the girl first, "Paige?" She asked.

"Hello Emily, this is Bella." She introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Bella said.

I approached behind Em, for moral support.

"Hi Paige!" I greeted.

"Aria! Hi!" She exclaimed.

"It's nice to see you." I stated.

"Same to you." She agreed.

I smiled, "So this is Bella?"

"Yup, this is my wife." Paige replied.

"Nice to meet you." I returned.

She nodded in response.

"So how long have you and Bella been married?" Emily asked.

"Two years." Paige replied.

"We met at Stanford." Bella added.

"That's great!" I gushed.

"How did you make our, Ezra I assume?" Paige teased.

"Yes, for two years. We have one child." I responded.

"I figured." Paige nodded,

"Yeah, we are meant to be." I agreed.

"Have you seen Noel?" Paige asked

"Yes, he's here." I replied.

"Well, if you would excuse me." Paige said, and linked arms with Bella, heading towards Noel's direction.

"Paige talking to Noel? That doesn't add up." Hanna muttered.

"Yeah, I wonder if Paige and Noel both were part of Mona's 'death'." I stated.

"It's possible." Ali agreed.

"Too possible." I nodded.

"So you caught up with Paige?" Ali asked.

"Yeah, she's married now." Em muttered.

"Sorry, I'm running into my ex's at the wrong time." Em added.

Ali squeezed her hand in reassurance.

I went back to Ezra, as Principal Hackett stood up at the stage.

The girls, guys, and I headed to a table for eight, and sat down.

"Welcome, to the 10 yearly Rosewood High high school reunion!" He bellowed.

Everyone applauded, and he held up his hand.

"I'd like to thank everyone, and their spouses for coming out tonight. 2014 was such a great class." He thanked.

*more applause*

"Tonight, we are giving out some awards. The cutest high school sweethearts award, favorite teacher, most liked, etc. Please, help yourselves to some food. Thank you again." He announced.

"I'd like to show a video, from some high school memories and organizations." He announced.

We all focused our eyes on the screen and sat in silence.

Pictures flashed by of the DeCathlon team, honor roll kids, blood drive, etc. Then everything went black. There were some shocked cries. A picture of the girls and I, and a photoshopped Mona, appeared on the screen.

Bitches was written across the screen in red, with a big -A across the middle.

All of the sudden, someone yelled, "I'm back bitches!"

We spun around to a horrifyingly familiar face.


	5. Chapter 5

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"I'd like to show a video, from some high school memories and organizations." He announced.

We all focused our eyes on the screen and sat in silence.

Pictures flashed by of the DeCathlon team, honor roll kids, blood drive, etc. Then everything went black. There were some shocked cries. A picture of the girls and I, and a photoshopped Mona, appeared on the screen.

Bitches was written across the screen in red, with a big -A across the middle.

All of the sudden, someone yelled, "I'm back bitches!"

We spun around to a horrifyingly familiar face.

Ch 5: From the Beginning

Ali POV

Mona was standing there with a smile.

"Shocked to see me?" She asked.

"Darlings, you shouldn't be." She added with a small pout.

A spotlight was placed on Mona.

"Hackett, I know you missed me." Mona announced.

"You all thought I was dead, huh? In Rosewood, you're never dead." She pointed out.

"What are you doing here Mrs. Vanderwaal?" He asked.

"It is.. MY reunion." She said.

"I thought I deserve to be here." She added.

All of the sudden, police officers came, and escorted Mona away.

"No! Han, don't let them do this!" She yelled.

"Bye bitch!" Hanna exclaimed and waved.

Once the gym doors slammed behind her, I fixated my eyes back on Mr. Hackett.

"Well.. that was.." He began.

"Um..Uh..I…" He blurted.

Spencer went up to the stage and said "I'll take it from here folks."

"Well, obviously Mona's gone now, and we are all in shock. Let's get on with our night, shall we?" She asked.

Some people clapped, and others were completely silent.

Noel and Paige ventured in our direction, "Did you know?" They asked.

We shrugged, as the two stood in shock.

"How long has she been back?" Paige demanded.

"We don't owe you anything." I sneered.

Aria sent Paige a sympathetic glance, and I beckoned the girls.

"Should we tell her?" Aria asked.

"No." Emily and I chorused.

Hanna and Spencer agreed and nodded with our reaction.

"Sorry Ar, I know you feel bad, it's just not right." Spence announced.

I gave Paige one final glare, and we returned to our seats.

I noticed in my peripheral vision, Caleb squeezed Hanna's hand. Poor Han, Mona was her ex- bestie.

The shaken Principal Hackett stood up and announced the awards.

"Our first award of the night, is the cutest high school sweethearts. This award goes to… Hanna and Caleb Rivers!" He cheered.

The two blushed, and stood up together to retrieve a small heart shaped award.

"The most liked goes to the one and only Emily Fields!" He announced.

I squeezed Em's hand, and she headed up the stairs to the stairs.

"That's all." Mr. Hackett finished.

"Do you want to go?" I asked the girls.

"Yes!" They chorused.

We all headed outside, back into the cars.

"Emily! Wait!" Paige yelled. Em slammed the door closed and rolled up her window.

Paige stood there, watching the car pull away from the school.

"Are you okay?" Han asked her.

"No." Em replied.

"I'm not." She sobbed.

"Mona came back. Maya did to. Noel's here. Paige wants to talk to me. I-I-I'm not okay!" She sobbed.

"Baby." I cooed.

"It's gonna be okay." I whispered.

She sobbed into my chest, and I held onto her.

"I'm sorry Em." Hanna muttered.

She remained silent, her face a pool of tears.

I rubbed her back, and we headed back to my home, as the kids insisted, according to Pam, to go to my home.

"Thanks for watching Sarah, Pam." I nodded.

"It was no problem." She replied.

Emily crept in behind me, and Pam finally noticed her.

"Oh Emmy, what's wrong?" She asked.

Emily shook her head and wiped away some tears.

Aria gathered the parents, as we all sat down on the couch.

She turned on the TV, and the local news came on.

"It appears that Mona Vanderwaal was never dead. She was recently put in Radley, for her mental state, and will remain there for a great period of time." The newscaster announced.

"This isn't possible." Ashley shook her head.

"It is." I blurted.

We all focused our eyes back on the TV.

"Ms. Vanderwaal appeared at a local reunion, after being 'dead' for 10 years. Now we'll hear from Mrs. Vanderwaal." The newscaster added.

"My baby's alive. I don't know how this is possible. She isn't my daughter, this isn't the same girl." She sobbed.

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

Mona's story reminded me of my story- A fake death- missing person.

"I'm so sorry Hanna." Ashley whispered.

"It's okay." Hanna whispered.

"If I had known-" She started.

"Mom. It's fine." Hanna snapped.

Ashley remained quiet as the rest of us just looked at each other.

"What's wrong Mama?" Sarah asked Em.

"Nothing sweetheart, your Mama's just having a bad day." I reassured Sarah, looking concerned at Emily.

"But Mama looks sad." Sarah protested with a pout.

I picked up Sarah and whispered in her ear, "How about you give Mama a huge hug, letting her know that you love her."

"Okay." She nodded eagerly.

Sarah ran across the room and gave Em a huge hug, and Em immediately put a smile on her face.

"I love you." Sarah whispered.

"Thank you Sarah, I love you too." Emily replied with a smile.

Em had settled down, and there were still some stray tears on her face.

"Okay Auntie Em?" Jonathan asked.

"I'm okay baby boy." She nodded.

"Aw Emmy, the kids love you!" Pam exclaimed as they all climbed on Emily.

Han, Aria, Spence, and I let out little giggles at our little ones loving faces.

"Give Auntie Em kisses!" I yelled.

All of the kids obeyed, and soon kissed Emily.

Mikey, however, decided to give Emily a kiss on the lips.

"That's my boy, getting his first girl." Toby praised.

"Hey, she's mine!" I warned Mikey.

I joined the kids in smothering Em with kisses and hugs.

My thumb caught a few more stray tears off of Em's face, "Why are you crying now babe?"

"I just love all of you, and these little munchkins." She reassured us all.

"We love you too!" The girls and I chorused.

"Well little ones, sorry to ruin the fun, but it's way past your bedtime." Spencer added with a smirk.

"Yeah, what are you doing up so late?" Caleb added with a tease.

The kids all looked at each other, with guilty looks.

"Yeah, Pam, what are they doing up so late?" I added.

"They wanted to see you." Ella assured us.

"We made you something!" Bella yelled.

"Ooo… a present? For us?" Aria cooed.

"That's right!" Mikey nodded.

The kids all ran into the kitchen, and grabbed a large sheet of paper.

Across the paper, were all of the girls, guys, and I. The grandparents were all there as well, including Ted. Above all of our stick figures was the word "Family!"

"This is so cute!" Veronica complimented.

"I love it." Ashley agreed.

"Thank you!" Em added.

The kids all smiled, realizing that we were very excited.

"Now, up to bed you all go!" I announced.

They all stayed put, until I stood in front of them.

"If you all don't go upstairs, Auntie Ali's gonna get you!" I threatened.

"Run!" Jonathan yelled.

All of the kids went upstairs as fast as their toddler legs could carry them.

"You're so good with kids Ali." Em rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, I try." I nodded.

The guys headed upstairs, to tuck the kids in, and the girls and I sat back down on the couch.

"Alright, what is going on?" Veronica demanded.

"Mona's alive, and she faked her death." Hanna blurted.

"Why?" Pam asked.

"To lock me up." I whispered.

"Why come back after 10 years?" Ashley added.

"It's pretty crazy." Spence agreed.

"Does this have to do with.. -A?" Ella wassed.

"It's possible." Aria agreed.

Flashback: 10 years ago

"Should we tell the parents? They should know. They can help us!" Aria suggested.

"Of course not! A would torture them too!" Spencer pointed out.

"Your mom would be useful in court." I added.

"I don't want my parents getting hurt, but they should know." Em agreed.

"As long as my mom's okay." Hanna stated.

"Alright, everyone text your parents. Family meeting at my barn 7:00 tonight. We'll bring the guys too." Spencer announced.

I checked the time, and we had two hours till 7.

I just sat there, I had no one to text. No one to call.

All of the other girls did.

My family? They're gone.

They never were family to me, never will be.

"My mom can go." Aria stated.

"Mine too." Hanna and Em added.

"Alright, so it's settled." Spencer declared.

"Do you still want to come?" Spencer asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

"How should we start?" Aria asked.

"From the beginning." I whispered.

"If you say so." Spence reluctantly agreed.

Soon enough 7:00 whirled around, and we all hopped into Spencer's vehicle.

I walked through the door and saw Ella, Veronica, Pam, and Ashley all sitting on the couch.

"Alison." Veronica scowled.

"Mrs. Hastings." I returned.

Spencer beckoned us to the opposing couch, and we all sat down.

"Why did you all want us here?" Ashley asked,

"To give you answers." Hanna replied.

"What's going on?" Veronica asked.

"We my as well start from the beginning." I whispered.

"What is going on?" Veronica repeated.

"Ever since Alison went missing, we've been threatened and contacted through our cell phones, from an anonymous source, or -A. -A is for anonymous. This person has ordered us to do dangerous things, and watches our every move, and records our every word. -A knows our secrets, no matter what we have tried to stop -A. Changing phones doesn't work, meeting in private locations, or even whispering. Using and speaking in code doesn't work either. -A's always one step ahead. -A has tried to hurt us, and even kill us. We encountered -A multiple times, and have managed to escape successfully. Our love ones have been hurt because of -A." Spencer blurted.

"What?" Pam sobbed.

"Someone's been hurting my Emmy and her best friends?" Pam added in disbelief.

"It's true." Emily nodded.

"Maya?" Pam asked.

"Yes, all because of -A." Emily replied.

"God, this is a lot to take in." Pam stated.

"We know." I reassured her.

"Ian too?" Veronica asked.

Spencer nodded.

"Mona?" Ashley asked.

Hanna nodded as well.

"All of the murders in Rosewood too our friends and citizens of this town, are because of -A. -A won't stop at anything to get what he/she/they want." Aria summed it up.

"How can we help?" Ella asked.

"Well, for starters, we're all going to be locked up; again. We could be suspects and 'proven guilty' of Mona's murder." I replied.

"So, you'd be in jail.. forever." Ashley realized.

"Pretty much." Aria nodded.

"That's so scary to think about." Pam agreed.

"Trust me, it's scary for us too." Spencer assured them.

"I'll gather evidence, I promise, you won't be in jail." Veronica pledged.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"No, thank you, for telling us this information." Ashley nodded.

"We just need help and support. We figured it's time for you all to know." Spencer added.

"-A has been around for too long." Pam realized.

"Unfortunately." Aria agreed.

"We'll help, we promise." Ella added.

End of Flashback

"I don't think -A is the cause of Mona's death, it's most likely just Mona." I announced.

"Why would you think that?" Ashley asked.

"Well, we went to hunt down Mona the other day, and um- yeah." Hanna blurted.

"Hanna!" Spencer screamed.

"Sorry." She squeaked.

"How did you find Mona?" Veronica asked.

"-A." I replied, before Hanna would get us indefinitely arrested.

"The cops can't know." Spencer whispered.

"We just don't want to get involved in this case." Em pleaded.

"Alright." Veronica agreed.

"Thank you." I let out a sigh.

The guys slowly came downstairs, "What's up?" Ezra asked.

"Well, Hanna told the ladies that we saw Mona the other day, because of the message -I sent us." I stated,hoping Ezra would catch on.

Luckily Ezra caught on, "Yeah, it was weird that -A wanted us to find Mona."

"Like a trap." Emily whispered.

"Oh gee. This can't be good." Aria stated.

"Not at all." I agreed.

"Thanks again, for watching the kids." I nodded.

"It was no problem." Veronica assured.

The ladies all got up, and headed back to Veronica's.

"Bye Pam." I waved.

"Bye Alison, nice seeing you. I'll see you tomorrow for ice skating!" She exclaimed.

"Will do!" I exclaimed.

I shut the door of my home over, making sure the parents drove away safely.

"Alright, who's ready to have some fun?" I asked, trying to uplift everyone.

"Me!" Hanna volunteered.

"Come on Em, please." I whispered.

"Okay." She replied.

"Yay!" I squealed.

"If fun means, making sure the kids are okay, and waking up early in the morning; I'm not so sure it's fun after all." Ezra pointed out.

"True." I sighed.

"Come on Spence. Young! Wild! And Free!" I exclaimed.

"Well, you're truly wild." Spencer remarked.

"Come on Spence!" I whined.

"Young Wild and Free! Young Wild and Free1" Han and I chanted.

"How about no." Spencer answered.

"We have the kids to worry about!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Yeah, maybe another night. We could go quadruple dating!" Aria agreed.

"Okay." Hanna pouted.

"We just wanted to have fun." I added, pouting as well.

"Stop!" Em teased.

"We know those pouts too well." Caleb agreed.

"Yeah, we could write a novel "'The Thoughts Behind The Pout.'" Em joked.

"It would be a bestseller." Aria agreed.

"Yeah, and I could write it!" Ezra teased.

"Haha, very funny." I rolled my eyes.

"No, we were totally serious." Toby joked.

" ." I summed it up.

"Okay, so why the hell is everyone coming back, 10 years later?" Spencer asked.

"Definitely not for the reunion." Em commented.

"Noel disappeared, and comes back 10 years suspicious." Aria added.

"Mona's in some sort of mental state, being in that place for 10 years; pretty suspicious if you ask me. She probably lived in Canada for all we know, and came back to Rosewood just because of -A." Hanna explained.

"Why Canada?" Spencer asked.

"It was an expression, okay? The expression means that we don't know where she is at all, and she could be in Canada." Hanna retorted.

Spencer remained silent.

"Well, Paige lived in California, right?" I asked.

"She did move back to Rosewood recently." Emily confirmed.

"Talk about suspicious, right?" Caleb added.

"-A most likely gathered everyone, but why?" Aria asked.

"We need to find out." Spencer announced.

"How?" Hanna asked.

"Alright, we're gonna search up Paige's name online, and find her home/apartment.. wherever she lives. We'll knock on the door;don't go inside. We'll take Paige back to my home for questioning, whether she likes it or not, we need answers." Spencer concluded.

"Do you think Paige will willingly go into your car, after what Emily said?" Toby pointed out.

"It's worth a shot." Spence replied.

"Alright." Toby agreed.

"Do I have to be a part of this?" Em groaned.

"Do you want answers?" I retorted.

Em didn't say anything else.

"It's settled." Spencer declared.

"Are you guys in?" She added.

I looked around, and nodded. The other girls were nodding too.

"Alright, so we start with Paige. We could try Noel too, there has to be something to his story, some sort of catch. We'll break into his home, and find the answers." Spencer announced.

"Break into his home?! We'll just go to jail, again!" Aria exclaimed.

"The guys could go out with Noel, and keep him distracted." Spencer suggested.

"Why would Noel want to go out with us?" Caleb asked.

"He never liked me." Ezra pointed out.

"Well he's gonna have to, or else we won't get our answers." Spencer declared.

"What about Jenna? We never saw her at the reunion." Em asked.

"We should try to find her, and get more answers." Em added.

"We could try." Spencer agreed.

"Is the bitch still blind?" Hanna asked, looking at Toby.

"Don't ask me, we haven't kept in touch. She'll know exactly who you are." Toby replied.

The girls and I looked at each other, and were hopefully thinking the same thing.

"How about a long deserved family reunion?" Spencer asked.

"No." Toby replied.

"You don't have a choice. I need my answers." Spencer pouted.

"It's the old fashion pout Toby, you already have to." Caleb pointed out.

"Okay, but not for long." Toby agreed.

"Thank you!" We chorused.

Aria POV:

"What about Andrew?" I asked.

"How would Andrew be helpful?" Hanna asked.

"He did help me with the whole M-Mike situation." I pointed out.

"And? What's his connection to -A?" Em asked.

"-A could've pointed out the whole weight scam to him, Andrew was in my house a lot. What happened to Mike, could've been because of Andrew. He could have been in cahoots with -A." I stated.

"Good point." Ali agreed.

"We can't do anything about Lucas, he's mental." Hanna commented.

"He probably ran away to Canada." Spencer retorted with an eyeroll.

"Not funny." Hanna pouted.

"It is to me." Spence shrugged.

"Spencer has a point, Lucas is most likely a runaway. After Mona's reveal and all, he had to escape." Em agreed.

"We could Google him." Ali suggested.

"Ali- if Lucas has hid for all of these years, he can handle wherever he's at. They won't find him." I pointed out.

"Oh, yeah." Ali sighed.

"Well, we have a good start everyone. We need answers as soon as possible, so we can start tomorrow. The parents'll still be around to watch the kids, and could always stay at one house. If the meeting with Paige is at my house, the kids can stay elsewhere." Spencer explained.

"Alright, is everyone in?" Spencer asked.

"Yes." We confirmed.

"Let's do this." I agreed.

"Okay, as long as you are all careful." Ezra agreed.

"Aria should convince Paige." Em stated.

"She always liked you, you were a trusting and good friend." She added.

"Alright, I'll try my best." I nodded.

"No promises that she'll come though." I added.

"Yeah, I shouldn't be the one to do it, she never liked me." Spencer pointed out.

I nodded and we all collapsed into silent.

"Let's all sleep in here tonight, so there aren't any surprise tree house visits." Em suggested.

Hanna whined, "Aw. Pleaseeeee."

"I agree with Em, I'd rather stay here. I love the tree house and all but- we need to be safe." I announced.

"Fine." Hanna agreed with another pout.

"We need to protect our kids as well." Toby pointed out.

"If -A hurt them, I'd never forgive myself." Hanna agreed.

"They need to grow up on the right path, not the path screaming-A's name." I nodded.

"Which is why, we didn't want to have 'fun' earlier." Em pointed out.

"Alright, I see your point." Ali agreed.

"Spence, do you want to work out in the morning?" Em asked.

"Sure!" She exclaimed.

"Yes! Ali's not much of the workout type, so it's great to have someone else who's interested as well." Em added.

"Hey! I just don't like weights and all." Ali protested.

"I know babe, it's okay." Em reassured her.

The two snuggled up on the couch together.

"So! The kids all have birthdays coming up." I changed the subject.

"Yup, March 13th." Spencer agreed.

"What do we want to do? We should definitely have a family party, what theme?" I asked.

"Well, the boys love monster trucks." Spencer pointed out.

"Bella is obsessed with Minnie Mouse and Doc McStuffins." Hanna added.

"Ooo! We should do a Disney theme!" I exclaimed.

"There can be Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Elsa, Anna, etc!" I exclaimed.

"That sounds perfect." Hanna cooed.

"This way, the boys and girls can enjoy it." Em agreed.

"We'll definitely have to take all of them to Disney when they're older." Ali stated.

"Yeah, they'll love that!" I agreed.

"If we took them now, we'd have to deal with toddlers on a plane, and complaining in a park." Spencer pointed out.

"Yeah no thanks, we'll wait until they're 7 or 8." I agreed.

"I don't need a screaming toddler." Hanna agreed as well.

"Yeah, we don't need to take care of that, or don't want to." Ezra pointed out.

"Well we still have our St. Martin trip!" Hanna pointed out.

"Oh yeah! The beach, shops, island, tourist sights.." Em rambled on.

"I'm really excited Han." I assured her.

"Plus, we won't have to worry about the kids." Ali added.

"Which will be a huge relief." Spencer agreed.

"Again with the whole flying with toddlers thing." Spencer added.

I nodded, showing that I was still listening and agreed.

"I've heard that Mullet bay has a high reviews." Hanna stated.

"Yeah there's snorkeling, and the sea creatures. We could go to many beaches and shops as well." I gushed.

"This should be really fun." Ezra agreed.

"Plus, we've never been." Em added.

"I love touring new places." Spencer agreed.

"I think you've been out of the country more than us Spence." Ali pointed out.

"It was just England." She replied.

"Well, Norway too." She added.

"Yeah, I've just been to Iceland." I pointed out.

"Well, and my honeymoon to Jamaica." Spencer continued.

"That's three countries, and another continent." Ali emphasized her point.

"True- I think there's somewhere else I've gone-" She added.

"Alright, we get your point Spence." Toby finished.

"Okay." She muttered.

"Our point is, that this is a new experience." I summarized.

"Who would've thought, that we would all be here, once again. We're all together, just like high school." I announced.

"I thought we would go our separate ways." Ali agreed truthfully.

"I'm so glad that we're here together." Em smiled.

"Me too." Hanna and Spencer agreed.

"Things are working out for us in this town." I stated.

"They usually don't." Em agreed.

"I mean, opportunities for us have been sabotaged throughout our high school years. All in all, we are all successful." Em explained.

"Rosewood is our home." Hanna agreed.

"We all have so many memories here. The Brew, The Grille, when everyone went missing…" Ali rambled.

"My husband's a published author." I bragged.

"I'm very proud of you." I added.

"Thank you sweetheart." Ezra said with a soft smile.

"Caleb can hack into Apple." Hanna pointed out.

"Yes I can." He grinned.

"This is not 'The Battle of the Husbands' ,okay?" Em concluded.

"Though Ali does a great job herself." Em gushed.

"Or wives." Spencer protested.

"This is now open to both genders." She added.

"STOP!" Ali yelled.

"Geez, you're all cranky at night." Ali rolled her eyes.

"You all have fabulous husbands, and they have a huge effect on the world. Okay? Okay. I think we're done." Ali summarized.

"Talk about cranky." Em muttered.

"Did you just call me cranky?" Ali asked with a smirk.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The guys started to chant.

I looked at Hanna and Spencer with a 'oh god look'. Soon enough, we started having a conversation through our eyes and facial expressions.

Me: Should we stop them?

Spencer: Yes!

Hanna: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Me: We're in for something Spence.

Spence: Let's just let them go.

Me: Okay.

I focused my attention back to the two ladies standing in the middle of the room. Emily and Ali both held a long stare, never taking their eyes off of each other.

Ali grabbed a pillow, and began to whack Emily.

Emily did the same.

"Pillow fight!" I shouted.

Soon enough, each adult in the room grabbed pillows.

"Wait!" Spencer called.

"The kids." She pointed out.

I still held onto my pillow, as Em and Ali ran into the basement.

"Let's go!" Hanna yelled.

We all ran down into the basement, and Spencer closed the door behind us.

We all started throwing pillows at each other.

Ezra got a good whack at me, in my face. As soon as I saw Caleb taking a swing at Ezra, I emergerd from behind, and let out a battle cry. I swung the pillow into the back of Ezra's head, as a little payback.

In the process, Caleb called out "Watch out!"

"Too late." I smirked once I was finished.

"That was a good one." Ezra complimented.

"Thank you very much." I replied with a grin and small curtsy.

"Let's take this outside." I yelled.

We all went upstairs and ran through the back door.

"Wait!" Spencer called.

"Let's split up into teams!" She suggested.

"Alright, how about guys against girls?" I asked.

"But we're outnumbered!" Caleb whined.

"Okay, umm.." I trailed off.

"I'll go with the guys." Em announced.

Em headed over to Toby, Caleb, and Ezra, exchanging high fives with each.

"That's not fair! They'll beat us!" Hanna pointed out.

"Oh well. " Toby replied.

"Could we do two guys and two girls?" Spencer suggested.

"No! Let's stay like this." Ali said.

We all looked at her like she was crazy. She turned around to us and mouthed 'I have a plan.'

"Alright girls against guys- and Em!" Hanna declared.

"Loser has to make breakfast for the winning team." Hanna added.

"Sounds fair enough for me." Ezra stated.

"Have fun making dinner!" Caleb yelled.

"It's on!" Ali declared.

"Okay, the tree house is the base, 10 seconds. You win by knocking out players from each team. No stealing pillows out of others hands, unless you have already knocked them. If you get a good swing, you've marked the person. Once you've been marked, you sit on one side of the treehouse. No one can go 'easy' on each other." Toby announced.

He beckoned us up to the tree house, and we all followed. He took a piece of paper, and wrote 'GUYS' on one, and taped it to the wall of the tree house. He wrote 'GIRLS' on the other, and put it on the opposing tree house wall.

"Here's where you sit once you are marked." He announced.

"We should add something else, like whoever from each team marks the most people gets a reward." I suggested.

"Whoever marks the most people, gets first dibs on a sleeping spot." Ali suggested.

"How about, also, the losing team sleeps on the floor." I added.

"Alright, be prepared for my cold basement floor." Em shrugged.

"Okay, we'll figure out later the other reward for the person who successfully marks the most people." Ezra announced.

We all raced down the steps, and Spencer announced "You have 5 minutes as a team to come up with your plan, we cannot go beyond the woods."

I gathered my team over on one side of the yard, and asked Ali, "What's your plan?"

"We hide and we run." Ali replied.

"Hide where?" Hanna asked.

"Behind the trees and stuff." Ali replied.

"Turn your phones on vibrate, so they won't hear them." I whispered.

"We should stay in pairs, incase we get into trouble. Once we get down to less people though, we'll split up further." Spencer announced.

"Okay, Spence, partners?" I asked.

"Team Sparia." She smiled.

Ali and Hanna looked at each other and nodded.

My phone went off, signaling that 5 minutes had been up.

We met back in the center of the yard, and Toby said "We decided to split into pairs."

"We did too." Spencer replied.

"Who's your team captain?" Em asked.

We immediately looked at Spencer.

"Me." Spencer nodded.

"I'm the captain for our team." Toby replied.

"Em and I are partners." He added.

"Do you need another minute to decide your plan?" Toby asked.

"We've got it." I retorted.

"On the count of three, ONE! TWO! THREE!" Toby yelled.

"GO!" I screamed.

Spencer and I linked our hands, and ran.

"Come on, let's go!" Spence yelled.

I turned around, and all of the opposing team's pairs were going after Ali and Hanna.

I assumed that was their strategy.

Spencer grabbed my hand, and we ran across the street. We headed into Spencer's guesthouse, and into it's basement.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We wait." Spencer replied.

"How do Ali and Han know where we are?" I asked.

"I discussed code names with Ali. This is Location E. Location A is the tree house, B is Em's house, C is Hanna's, D is mine, E is here, and F is your home." Spencer explained.

"Okay, got it." I nodded.

Spencer's phone vibrated.

"It's Ali, they made it to Location C." Spencer announced.

"They got Em." Spencer added.

"One down, three to go." I whispered.

"Will they find us here?" I asked.

"Not likely. No one knows about the guest house basement or ever goes there. It's my secret." Spencer nodded.

"Where do we go from here?" I asked.

"Location F." She replied.

"Toby probably went with Caleb for support. Ezra can hold his own." I nodded, Location F made sense.

"So once we split up, I'll text you a letter of where I am." I replied.

"Pretty much." Spencer replied.

"We have to be careful, heading to Location F. They might make Ali find us here, or Hanna." I replied.

Spencer replied, "Agreed."

I walked over to the window, and looked outside.

"Toby's at Hanna's." I whispered.

"Which means Caleb's on the run." Spencer muttered.

"Caleb's on the run! Heading to Location D!" Spencer announced.

"Ali texted me." She added, resolving the confusion.

"Let's go!" She shouted.

As we headed outside, Caleb was walking into Spencer's.

I crept up, and ran, hitting Caleb on the top of his head.

"Dammit." He muttered.

'Location C' Spencer mouthed. I nodded and we ran into the woods once again.

I pulled out my phone, and texted Ali 'Location C. Caleb's down.'

I showed the phone to Spence, and she nodded.

I shut it off, and slipped it back into my crossbody purse.

On the way to Location C, running across the street, Ezra charged at us.

Spencer grabbed my hand, and we ran to Location F.

Spencer instead, led me into the woods, and we waited to see where Ezra went.

Ezra was heading to Aria's home, and I ran towards him.

I swung at his chest, and Ezra headed back to Location A silently.

"3 down, one to go." Spencer whispered.

She grabbed my hand, and we retreated to Location B.

Spencer showed me her phone, a text she sent to Ali "Ezra, Caleb, and Em down."

Ali had texted back, "Took their phones so they can't help Toby."

"They got Hanna. I'm at Location B." Spencer read aloud.

"Okay." I replied.

"Ali's in the basement, let's go!" I yelled.

We crept up to the basement window, and Ali removed the screen. She opened the window, and let us crawl inside.

"Toby's at Location A, should be here any minute." Ali nodded.

The three of us crept upstairs, to see Toby entering the door.

Ali ran and charged, swinging at Toby's back.

We got him.

"Victory!" I yelled.

We took Toby back to the treehouse, and greeted Hanna.

"Hey Han!" I called.

"We won fair and square." Spencer declared.

"Great job girls. I seriously thought we were gonna win." Toby replied.

"I guess we had a better plan." I shrugged.

"It's all thanks to Spence." Ali announced.

"Spence is the best." I agreed.

"Alright, so who got each person?" Hanna asked.

We looked at the four people sitting on the one side of the treehouse.

"Hanna." Em said.

"Aria." Ezra and Caleb chorused.

I smiled, knowing I got the most people.

"Ali." Toby finished.

"I did it!" I cheered.

"I get first dibs!" I yelled.

"We'd like eggs, bacon, pancakes, home fries, and some avocado toast." Ali stated.

"Alright princesses." Caleb replied.

"Ooo princesses. I like it." I cooed.

"Yeah, you should call us princesses more often." Spence pouted.

"Caleb calls me princess all the time." Hanna bragged.

"Lucky!" I exclaimed with a pout.

"I'm a princess." I added.

"I know sweetheart." Ezra nodded.

"You're my sweetheart and my princess. But calling Hanna princess is Hanna and Caleb's 'thing.' Ezra pointed out.

"Yeah it's a Haleb thing." Hanna agreed.

We all tilted our heads at her comment.

"Haleb?" Caleb asked.

"Our ship name! Duh!" Hanna exclaimed.

She went one by one and announced each couple's 'ship name.' "Spoby, Emison, and Ezria."

"Hello! Didn't you know?" Hanna asked.

"Ezria, fancy." I commented.

"Spoby has a nice ring to it." Toby agreed, and Spencer nodded.

"You're great at these 'ship names'." Caleb announced.

"Obviously." She retorted.

"Okay princess." Caleb chuckled.

"Amily, Alily, yeah Emison works." Ali declared.

We all burst into laughter at Ali's attempt at a 'ship name', mainly Hanna.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm finding my bed!" I yelled.

I raced down the treehouse steps, everyone following me.

I opened the doors, and headed into the guest room downstairs.

Everyone followed me, as I plopped down on one of the three queen beds.

I took one, Hanna took one, and Spencer took the other.

Ali took the couch in the room, and we waved to everyone else.

"Bye!" We chorused.

"Goodnight princesses!" Emily, Ezra, Caleb, and Toby chorused.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and follows! Do you want more chapters like this? (With the couples having fun with things like a pillow fight?)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much for favoriting, following, and reviewing this story!

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm finding my bed!" I yelled.

I raced down the treehouse steps, everyone following me.

I opened the doors, and headed into the guest room downstairs.

Everyone followed me, as I plopped down on one of the three queen beds.

I took one, Hanna took one, and Spencer took the other.

Ali took the couch in the room, and we waved to everyone else.

"Bye!" We chorused.

"Goodnight princesses!" Emily, Ezra, Caleb, and Toby chorused.

Ch 6

Aria POV:

I awoke to sun in my eyes. Hanna was still sound asleep, and Ali was on her phone. I leaned over to my left, and Spencer's bed was empty. She must've went to workout with Em. I crept outside of the guestroom, giving Ali a small wave. I walked across the basement to the gym door, and opened it. Em and Spence were running on the treadmill. "Sorry." I mouthed.

I waved and shut the gym door behind me softly. In the main area, where there was a TV, there were blankets scattered over the floor. I was happy to see that no one was still downstairs. I crept upstairs to see the guys and Em making breakfast.

"Good morning!" I greeted.

"Morning sweetheart." Ezra replied.

"It smells great." I complimented.

"Thank you!" Caleb replied appreciatively.

I nodded and padded upstairs.

The kids to my surprise, were sound asleep, and I headed back to the basement.

As soon as I walked into the guest room, Hanna let out a groan.

"Ugh!" She yelled.

"What?" I asked.

"You woke me up!" She whined.

"All I did was walk into the room." I pointed out and headed back to the bed.

The guys were busy cooking, so I decided to fall asleep. Ali was silent on her phone and Hanna was awfully cranky.

As soon as I shut my eyes, Em called "Good morning!"

I groaned and sat up.

Spence and Em were standing in the doorway.

"Crap!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Ali asked.

"So now she listens." I muttered.

"The moms have to watch the kids today!" I exclaimed.

"Already took care of it." Em reassured us.

"Thanks." I replied with a smile.

"Breakfast!" Toby called.

I went up the stairs to find the kids already at Em's 'kiddie' table, and a plate full of my fave breakfast food was already set for me. I sat down in between Spence and Hanna, and dug into my meal. My avocado toast was too die for, with sunny side up eggs on top. Did I mention that I'm no longer a vegetarian? After escaping my father's home and high school, I changed my ways. I placed two pieces of bacon on top of the toast as well, and devoured it. Next, I moved onto the pancakes. Hanna passed me the syrup, and I smothered my pancakes in syrup. They had a nice dollop of whipped cream on top, with chocolate chips. There were two pancakes, I definitely couldn't fit three.

As soon as I finished cutting my pancakes, Jonathan looked up at me.

I went over to my baby boy, and cut his pancakes, and drizzled them in syrup. Jonathan smiled, and began to eat his food. I headed back over to the table and finished my food.

"Thanks guys, it was really good." I nodded.

"We could've done better." Hanna interrupted.

"Hey! Stop!" Spencer exclaimed and gave her a small nudge.

Ali and Em remained silent, and finished their omelets.

"Last night was fun." I stated and broke the silence.

"It was like we were teens again." Em added.

"Yeah." I smiled.

I stared at my empty plate, and put it in the dishwasher.

"Thanks guys, for making us a delicious breakfast." I smiled.

"Your welcome." Ezra replied.

"So, how did you guys beat us last night?" Toby asked.

"It's a secret." Ali replied.

"As Alison DiLaurentis has said once before, 'Two can't keep a secret, unless one of them is dead.' "Spencer stated.

"Hmmm.. very true." Ezra pointed out.

"Yeah, well none of us are dead though." Hanna muttered.

I rolled my eyes at typical Hanna comment.

We were interrupted by the ring of a doorbell.

The moms piled inside as Em took their coats.

"Hi mom!" I greeted Ella, who was standing in the doorway.

She came in as the kids all squealed, "Grandma!"

All of our mothers soon went over to the kids and gave them huge hugs.

"We just saw you though!" Pam exclaimed.

Mikey ignored her commented and announced, "We've missed you!"

"Alright guys, we're gonna be gone for a little while. We're going out to Auntie Spence's house, and your grandma's are gonna watch you." I told them.

"Why?" Jonathan pouted.

"Don't worry, it's just for a little bit." I assured them.

"We'll be back soon." Hanna added.

Jonathan nodded, and soon began to ask Ella tons of questions.

Em came back with our coats, and I slipped mine on.

I went with Hanna, Ali, and Spence back downstairs to the guestroom, to grab our phones.

"We'll be back! Thanks moms!" Em called.

Everyone waved, the guys, girls, and I all crept outside, into the cars.

Spencer, Toby, Ezra, and I took one.

Ali, Em, Hanna, and Caleb took the other car.

"Are you ready Aria?" Ezra asked.

"Ready." I nodded.

"Wait.. where are we going?" I asked.

"Caleb! Look up Paige's house!" Toby called out.

Caleb went to his phone and within a few minutes, rolled down his window.

"I found the address! I'll lead! I'll text you guys the address just incase!" He yelled back.

We all headed out to the location Caleb found, and followed his car.

We pulled up to a small home, with a nice beige coloring on the outside. There were two cars in the large driveway, and there were nice winter decorations outside.

Toby continued to drive us further down the street, and we parked out of Paige's clearing.

"Are you ready Aria?" Ezra repeated.

"Yes." I nodded, and walked down to the beige home.

I approached the door, and rang the doorbell.

I put my hands in my pockets and kept itching my hands.

Paige opened the door.

"Aria?" She asked.

"What are you doing here?" Paige replied.

"I came to talk to you." I replied.

"Come on in- I can make you-" She started.

I held up my hand, "That won't be necessary."

Paige came outside, and shut the door.

"What's going on?" Paige whispered.

"I need you to come to my home, we need to talk." I said.

"Aria I'm not sure that's a good idea-" She began.

"Paige please." I begged.

"Well Bella should come as well." Paige declared.

"There isn't enough room in my car-" I started.

"We'll take my car." She suggested.

"Paige, you need to take to my car, leave your wife home, and come with me." I demanded.

"Okay then, I'll grab my purse." She whispered.

Paige opened the door, grabbed her purse, and headed back outside.

I directed her down the sidewalk to Spencer's car.

I hopped in the middle and gestured for Paige to follow.

She hopped in the car.

"Spencer, Toby, Ezra, I'm not surprised." She stated.

"I'm assuming the others are in that car over there?" She asked.

"Great." She muttered, answering her own question.

"Do you think I'm -A?" She asked as she began to ask a series of questions.

"Do you think I 'killed' Mona?"

"Do you think I 'killed' Mike?"

"Do you want me to get back together with Emily?"

"Isn't she married-?"

"-To Ali?"

"Are you kidnapping me?"

"Or adultnapping?"

"Do I have something you want?"

"Does this have to do with -A?"

"Are you seriously kidnapping me?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!" Spencer yelled.

"Sorry baby." She added to Toby, who was driving.

"Sorry." Paige muttered.

"To answer your questions, no we don't think you killed anyone. We don't think you're -A. Emily and Ali are married, and we have no interest in breaking their marriage. We aren't kidnapping you." I exclaimed.

"Good." She whispered.

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"For answers." Ezra replied.

"Whatever you say Mr. Fitz." Paige smirked.

"Call me Ezra." He sneered.

"Don't you dare call him ." I bellowed.

"Calm down please, I'm driving." Toby begged.

"Sorry Tobes." I replied.

"Where are we going?" Paige asked.

*Silence*

"Where are we going?" She repeated.

"Somewhere safe." Spencer whispered.

We pulled into Spence's driveway after the other girls, and headed to the door.

"Where are we going?" Paige yelled.

The girls from the other car and Caleb were already at the door, and we followed them inside.

Paige sat down in Spencer's chair, while the rest of us faced her on the couches.

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"For answers." Em replied.

"Where were you the night of Mona's murder?" Ali asked.

"At my home." She replied.

"Did you know that Mona Vanderwaal was going to die that night?" I asked.

"No." She stated.

"Did you know that Mona Vanderwaal was going to die that night?" I repeated.

"Yes." She replied and bowed her head.

"How?" Toby demanded.

"I helped." She stated.

"How?" Toby repeated.

"I spilled the blood she collected all over everything. Mona asked me to help. She begged me too, and I thought the idea was sick." She replied.

"What did Mona give you in exchange?" Caleb asked.

"That's personal." Paige whispered.

"She must've done something as a thank you." Caleb insisted.

"Money." Paige sobbed.

"For what?" Em asked.

"College." Paige whispered. She wiped tears away.

"So you recieved so much money, to be involved in a murder case?" Ali asked in disbelief.

"That's sick." Hanna whispered.

"I didn't know about Mike's death though, I sware!" She exclaimed.

"Ok." I whispered.

"Did you know where Mona went after her 'death?' " Em asked.

"No. She told me to never ask about her future. I don't know if she got married, has children, etc." Paige replied.

Em nodded.

"How did you know I had secrets?" Paige asked.

"It's Rosewood. Everyone has secrets." Spencer shrugged.

"Well do you guys have secrets?" Paige asked.

We all exchanged a look.

"Of course not." Ali lied.

"Nothing exciting has occurred for us in 10 years." I added.

"So how have you been?" Paige asked.

"Listen Paige. This isn't some sort of reunion thing. We wanted answers and we got them." Ali finished.

"Why are you so interested in Mona?" Paige asked.

"That's our business not yours." Em announced.

"Well my wife is coming to pick me up, I may as well go." Paige announced.

"You told your wife about this?" Ezra asked.

"Of course, you could have kidnapped me!" She sneered.

"We have more questions." Toby stated.

"Well too bad because I'm leaving." She shrugged.

Paige ran out with her purse and through the door.

There wasn't a car or anything outside, and Paige just ran down the sidewalk.

I watched her leave, and Em shoved past me and ran outside.

Em POV:

I ran down my street and followed Paige.

She looked over her shoulder and saw me, and continued to run. A car swung by and Paige leapt inside. The car sped away and she was gone.

I walked back to Spence's and shut the door behind me.

"She's gone." I puffed.

"I can't believe she ran!" Ali exclaimed.

"We weren't gonna hurt her." Spence agreed.

"I can't believe she helped Mona." I whispered.

"They always hated each other!" Aria exclaimed.

"It's weird, almost like Mona recruited an army. Lucas, Paige, maybe Mike.." She rambled.

"Calm down Ar." I cooed.

"What do we do?" Hanna asked.

"We go find Paige again." I declared.

"She wouldn't come with us!" Spence exclaimed.

"We can force her." Ali suggested.

"I don't wanna force anyone to do anything, hurt anyone, or get arrested!" I exclaimed.

"Alright." Hanna said.

"We got more info about Mona's death, let's just start there." I pleaded.

"We can't just force people to give us answers, it isn't right." I added.

"Okay Em." Aria nodded.

"We'll wait with Paige, but we can still stick with our Noel plan." Spencer declared.

"Let's go now." Ali demanded.

"Now?" I asked.

"Yeah, the kids are with the moms, why not?" Ali asked.

"Agreed. Guys, can you head to Noel's? Text us once he's out of the house. Take him to a movie or something. Please." She begged.

"Alright, for you Spence." Toby agreed.

The guys all headed outside and waved goodbye.

"Success." I grinned.

"Let the mom's know that we'll be out for a little longer." I announced.

The girls nodded.

I pulled out my phone and texted my mom 'Out with the girls for a little longer. Be home later."

Pam/My mom: Alright Emmy. Be careful

Me: I will

"Done." Spence announced.

"My mom's cool with it." Hanna added.

I turned and looked at Aria, who nodded.

"The guys are on their ways to the movies!" Spence yelled.

"Yes!" We cheered.

We all headed next door into Aria's car, and drove to Noel's.

Aria pulled out her phone and announced, "Ezra says the key's under the door."

"Wow so dumb." Hanna remarked.

"It's Noel." I retorted.

We pulled up to Noel Kahn's street and parked down the street.

We walked up to Noel Kahn's mansion.

I looked around, and made sure no one saw us there.

Aria bent down and grabbed a small key from under the mat.

She put the key through the door and turned the knob.

We walked into Noel's ginormous home, and Spencer whispered, "Wait!"

"Noel could have security." She whispered.

I looked around, and there were no sights of any cameras.

"No cameras. No security. Done." Spencer declared.

We looked around the bottom floor and I headed up the stairs with Spencer.

There was a huge bedroom, and a door marked "Office."

I beckoned Spencer to the door and we headed inside of the office.

There was a huge desk in the middle of the room, a safe, and tons of locked drawers.

"We have to find the key to the drawers!" I exclaimed.

Spencer headed to the safe, and typed in a four digit code.

The safe immediately opened.

"How did you know the code?" I asked.

"Mona's birthday." She shrugged.

I went back to the top of the spiral staircase and called the girls, "We found something!"

They raced up the stairs and we headed back into the office.

Spencer waited at the safe and reached inside of the safe.

There was a tube of blood, marked "Mona."

"What the-?" Spencer asked.

"Remember, put everything back where it came from, Noel can't notice that anyone was here." I urged.

"Alright, but I need to at least take pictures." Spence declared.

She put the blood back in the safe, and reached in further.

There was a ID reading "Hannah James" with a picture of Mona.

"Mona has a fake ID." I whispered.

"That Noel just so happens to have." Ali retorted.

"Guys -A could find us and tell Noel." Aria pointed out.

Spencer quickly took a picture of the ID.

She reached into the safe one more time, and found a small velvet box.

She opened it up to find a ring, a wedding ring. On the inside, M+N was engraved with the year 2015.

"Noel's going to propose?" I asked.

"I guess so." Spence shrugged.

The final object in the safe was a phone.

Spencer showed us the phone, and typed the same four digit code into it.

Thousands of texts from Paige to Mona, Noel to Mona appeared.

"Run." I whispered.

Spencer shut the safe, and we ran outside.

We ran down the street, back into the car.

On the car mirrors, a message from -A was written in lipstick.

"Spill or I will. -A." I read.

"Crap." Spencer whispered.

A tiny piece of paper was folded on the mirror.

I grabbed it and unfolded it. A series of confusing letters lay on the sheet:

EGIAP SAH EHT SREWSNA

I passed the piece of paper to Spencer and she exclaimed "It's backwards!"

"Does anyone have a pencil?" She asked.

I dug into my purse and passed a pencil to Spencer.

She quickly rephrased the letters and read "Paige has the answers."

"Of course she does!" I groaned.

"-A wants us to talk to Paige again." Aria stated.

"Great." I sighed.

"I got a text from Ezra!" Aria yelled.

"Noel got a message from -A that someone's been in his home.. they're on their way!" She yelled.

Aria quickly took us down a backway to our home.

We pulled into Aria's driveway, and walked back over to Spencer's.

I sat down on the couch, waiting for the guys to come back.

The girls and I paced around Spencer's home for what felt like forever.

Suddenly, the guys emerged through the door.

"What happened in there?" Toby demanded.

"We found some of Mona's things." Spencer blurted.

"There was some of her blood, a wedding ring, a phone, and a fake ID with Mona's face on it." She added.

"There were texts from Noel and Paige on this phone, most likely to Mona." Aria stated.

"We found this in his safe." I clarified.

"How did you get into the safe?" Caleb asked.

"Spencer." Ali shrugged.

"The wedding ring had Noel and Mona's initials engraved in it with the year 2015. -A set us up." Hanna announced.

Spencer passed them the piece of paper and showed them the picture of the ID on her phone.

"Woah. So Mona and Noel are in cahoots. Paige lied to us." Ezra realized.

"Basically." I summarized.

"Paige might already have told Noel that we were curious about Mona and questioned her. He may already have an idea of who was in his home! We could go back to prison!" I exclaimed.

"OMG!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all." Ali commented.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

I lifted up the blinds and got on my hands and knees.

Standing there was Noel Kahn.

I slammed the blinds back and ran to the girls.

"It's Noel." I whispered.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it." Toby assured us, tossing us our things.

"What do we do?" Spencer asked.

"Hide." Emily blurted. We went around the house and down to the basement.

We shut the door to Spencer's office shut, and sat there quietly.

"This isn't good." Ali whispered.

Spencer grabbed a baby monitor from the desk, and turned it on.

We could hear Toby, Ezra, Caleb, and Noel's conversation.

*door opens*

"Hello Noel! What are you doing here?' Toby asked.

"Where are they?" Noel demanded.

"Who?" He asked.

"Alison, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer." He replied.

"They're out shopping." Ezra stated.

"Can I come in?" Noel asked.

"Are you inviting yourself into a former police officers home? Toby can write you up for that." Caleb stated.

I tuned out for a minute, and Spence told the girls and I, "Location E. Now!" She whispered.

Spencer led us out of the basement's backdoor. We all ran to the guesthouse, and into the basement, with the baby monitor.

"Mind if I have a look around?" He asked.

"Sure." Toby responded.

"Do you want a drink?' Toby asked.

"I'm fine." Noel sneered.

I stopped and whispered to Spence, "Call Veronica."

Spencer called Veronica, and asked her to bring her things and report to the guesthouse. We heard the door open, and Veronica Hastings walked in. "Spencer?" She called. Spencer ran up from the basement. "I'll explain later. Thank you so much. Throw your stuff everywhere, don't let Noel know that you're here.

She headed back into the basement to see us and we went back to the walkie talkie.

Caleb texted Hanna and she read the text aloud, "Noel's searched upstairs and downstairs. Headed to the basement, r u safe?"

We nodded and she typed "Yes."

We heard Noel ask, "What do you do down here?"

"Well, we have Spencer's office. There's a room where our son Mikey plays, a pool room, etc."

"What's in here?" He asked.

"Spencer's office." Toby replied.

He opened the door, and said "Hmmm, nothing in the house."

"What's outside?" He asked.

"The guesthouse." Toby replied.

Noel opened the backdoor, and headed inside with the guys.

Veronica Hastings sat at the kitchen table, eating lasagna.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Hello boys." She added to the three husbands.

"Noel." She greeted.

" ." He nodded.

"What are you doing here Noel when I'm trying to eat dinner? I would love some peace and quiet." She snapped.

"Here's your towels for your shower Mrs. Hastings." Toby stated.

"Thank you Toby sweetheart." She nodded.

"Well if you'd excuse me, I'm trying to eat here." She pointed out and gestured to her lasagna.

"We'll leave you to it." Caleb stated and ushered Noel outside.

Veronica continued to eat her lasagna, until the boys were out of sight.

"You can come out girls!" She called.

"Thank you." Spencer stated.

"Your welcome, but why am I here?" She asked.

"We may have broken into Noel's home and -A found out and sort of left Noel a tip. He wanted to search the house." Spencer rambled.

"You broke into his house?" She asked.

"We needed answers, Noel is connected to Mona's 'murder'. "Spencer pointed out.

"Well alright." Veronica sighed.

I looked down to see an all clear text from Toby.

"You can go now Mom, back to Em's." Spencer announced.

"We'll be there soon." She assured her.

"Alright." Veronica nodded and headed outside.

The girls and I headed back to the first floor of Spencer's home, to see where the guys where.

"That was close." Caleb sighed.

"We were almost busted." I agreed.

"Thank you." Spencer gushed to the boys.

"You guys could've gotten arrested." Ezra said.

"We know." I replied.

"Noel should be the one getting arrested, after all, he had involvement in a murder case." Ali pointed out.

"But we broke into a house." I protested.

"His house." Hanna added.

"Good point." Ali whispered.

"-A can't get away with this." Aria sighed.

"Let's not stress over it for now. Let's go see our moms." Aria announced, trying to set a calming mood.

I grabbed my stuff, and walked out the door, heading home.

I opened the door, and saw all of the mothers sitting on the floor with the kids.

"Mama!" Sarah cried.

"Hi baby!" I exclaimed with a grin and she gave me a huge hug.

"Hey!" Ali yelled with a pout.

Sarah looked up at Ali and I passed her off to Ali.

Aria had already said hello to Mikey, and Bella was chatting with Hanna.

I looked over to see my mom talking with Ella, giving me a 'we need to talk type of look.'

"Ezra, Caleb, Toby, how about you take these little ones out to the tree house?" I suggested.

"But my mommies won't be there!" Sarah protested.

"Uncle Ezra will be there though." Ali pointed out.

"Uncla Eza!" Sarah exclaimed.

I laughed, and watched them head outside.

"What happened?" Ella asked.

"Alright, we went to Paige's home. I convinced her to come with us back to Spencer's. Paige came, and revealed that she had something to do with Mona's murder. Paige wouldn't tell us anything else, and it seemed suspicious." Aria started.

"So, we decided to sneak into Noel Kahn's mansion. The guys took him out to see a movie, so we could get in. The key was under the door. We got into Noel's safe, with the code being Mona's birthday. There was a fake ID with Mona's face, a ring from Noel to Mona that he hasn't delivered, Mona's blood, and a phone. The phone had the same password, and the blood was infact Mona's, as it proved on the label." Spencer finished.

"You broke into his home? You could go to prison, again!" Pam yelled.

"We know, but we needed answers." I nodded.

"You didn't tell me that you saw Paige." Veronica protested.

"Well there wasn't exactly a lot of time." Spencer replied.

"Noel and Mona are going to get married?" Ashley asked.

"Well not right now, because Mona's in Radley." Hanna pointed out.

"Do you guys think Noel has a plan to get Mona out of there?" Hanna asked.

"It's likely." Ella nodded.

"Well, we have to make sure he gets caught, and his plan doesn't succeed." I announced.

"How would we find it out?" Spencer asked.

"Caleb." Hanna whispered.

"Caleb could find out information." Hanna added.

"Oh." Spencer muttered.

"Caleb!" Hanna shouted.

"Ouch Han." I muttered.

Her yell stung my ears in an unpleasant way.

"Quiet down please." I whispered.

Hanna shot me a glare, and walked over to the bottom of the stairs.

"What's up princess?" Caleb asked.

She beckoned him downstairs, "Can you go track down the phone we found in the safe please?"

"Sure." Caleb responded.

"Now." Hanna ordered.

Ashley scolded Hanna, "If you want someone to do something for you, at least be nice about it!"

"Sorry." She whispered.

"Caleb can track it down later." Ashley added.

Caleb nodded, shrugged, and went back upstairs.

Once he was out of sight, Ashley continued, "That was awfully rude Hanna."

"I get it Mom." Hanna retorted.

Ashley sighed, taking her eyes off of Hanna.

"So, we have burgers for dinner if that's okay." Ali announced.

The parents nodded.

"Great!" I exclaimed.

Hanna POV:

Pam's brown eyes fell as she thought carefully and opened her mouth, "What do you think will happen to Mona?"

"They'll probably keep her in Radley, unless she finds a way to escape." I replied.

She nodded and pursed her lips.

"We have to make sure she doesn't get out." Spencer added.

Em began to rub her hands nervously and itch her wrist.

Ali squeezed her hand in reassurance.

The whole day had been chaos, first Paige, then Noel, and now Mona.

"Do you think Paige is -A?" Aria asked.

Emily shot her a bewildered glare, "What?"

Aria held up her hand to say 'hear me out.'

"Paige mysteriously moves back to Rosewood, around the time of the reunion, and Mona's return. All of these connections just link back to Paige." She pointed out.

"She didn't stay in contact with anyone, except for Noel and Mona." I added.

"But maybe Mona wanted her to come back?" Emily asked.

"I don't think that's the case Em." Ali whispered.

"Noel came back to the reunion too, but I'm pretty sure he came back to Rosewood after college." Spence stated.

"He might not even have gone to college, he could've run off with Mona." I pointed out.

"Well no one knows if he graduated or not except Noel." Emily muttered.

We all exchanged looks.

"Oh no! We are not sneaking in again!" Emily bellowed.

"It isn't a good idea girls." Veronica added.

"It's the only way to turn Noel in." Aria whispered.

"More like turn Mona in." Emily protested.

"Paige would be turned in too." I pointed out.

"I know." Emily sighed.

"Do you think Maya had anything to do with Mona?" Emily asked.

"Her story was pretty convincing." Aria stated.

"I think Maya can help us, you know, sneak into Noel's." I suggested.

"No offense Em, but Maya was known for all of that stuff. " Spencer agreed.

Pam nodded, "Sorry Emmy, but I'd rather have Maya do it then you."

"If it can keep you girls out of jail, I'm in." Ella declared.

"How do we get Noel out of the house?" Em asked.

"We spy on him." Ali shrugged.

"Plus, Noel may have some new security. We need to be careful." Spencer announced.

"True. Now that the 'anonymous' tip has been left, Noel's probably waiting for someone to break in again." I agreed.

"How will Maya agree though?" Aria asked.

"You kind of threw her out the door Em." Ali whispered.

"Well so everything's my fault?" She yelled.

"I just seem to screw everything up!" She cried.

Em went down into the basement, and Ali started to follow.

Pam put her hand on Ali's shoulder, "Let her go."

Ali hesitated, sat down, and replied "Okay."

"She's just stressed Ali. Her exs came back. I know you aren't happy that she's a bit.. paranoid, but she just needs to calm down." I soothed.

"I know, but I just want her to relax." Ali whined.

"Just let her relax then sweetheart." Pam responded.

Ali relaxed her shoulders, and sagged back into the couch.

"Em doesn't have to do it you know." Spencer pointed out.

"She doesn't have to go to all of these places." She added.

"But she wants to because I'm there." Ali stated.

"It's stressing her out so much though!" Pam protested.

"It isn't good for her to keep going." Aria added.

"She shouldn't go." I agreed.

"Trust me, I'd love her to, but if it hurts her, it hurts us." I added.

"Good points." Ali muttered.

"You and Em are stuck like glue, but sometimes the glue has to go different places, and come back together again." Spencer announced.

"That makes no sense." I blurted.

"I get it." Ali retorted.

"She's Hanna." My mom said.

"Hey!" I protested.

The guys came back downstairs, and Ali went to go spark up the grill.

"Burger time!" Ezra cheered.

The guys followed Ali outside, as we sat on the couches.

Pam rose from the couch and announced, "Excuse me."

Pam POV:

"Emmy?" I called knocking on one the gym door.

I cracked open the door to see my daughter on the floor sobbing.

"Baby, it's okay." I called and shut the door behind me.

"It's not mom. Paige is back, Mona is too, along with Maya, a-a-and." She paused.

"I know Emmy." I cooed.

"Baby girl, you've gotta get yourself together, and pull through for Ali and your friends." I stated.

"It's hard." Emily whispered and looked at me with wide eyes.

"I know it is. But, your friends need you. This is reality baby, this is life. It's a rollercoaster, and you've gotta get over and down this steep point." I stated.

I leaned over, and grabbed her hand.

"Come out when you're ready." I whispered and headed back upstairs.

"How is she?" Veronica asked.

"She is right here." Emily declared and came into the living room.

Hanna came over and gave Em a hug, "Em, we don't have to do this if you don't-" She started.

Em held up her hand, and stopped her, "I'm in!" She exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Alison asked.

She nodded and the girls gave her a hug.

Aria POV:

After embracing Em, Ezra came out with a grin and asked, "Who wants burgers?"

Everyone immediately grinned, as Ezra set down the plateful of burgers near the assorted toppings.

Em went to the top of the stairs and called, "Dinner time!"

Our little toddlers ran down the steps, and waited to be served.

"I want food." Mikey groaned.

Spencer gave him a scolding look, and Mikey immediately looked away.

I helped myself to my burger with my usual toppings, and sat down at Em's dining room table. I took a large bite into my burger.

After some thinking, I told Ezra, "Baby! You should be a chef!"

He tilted his head at me, "I'm already an author and am busy at work-"

"Oh please. Ezra you'd be a fabulous cook! You'd still have time to write books!" Ella gushed.

"I don't think I should I mean-" He started.

I cut him off, "Ez! It's perfect!"

"But I wouldn't see you as much." He whined.

"I know baby." I replied.

"It's just something we'd need to get use to." I added.

"I can't leave you at home to take care of Jonathan, when we're both working, you only have a certain period of time off and-" He rambled.

"Okay." I cut him off.

"Good points." I added.

"I'm just happy with what I'm doing right now." He stated.

I gave him a 'we'll talk about this later' look and looked around the table.

"Speaking of work, Hanna how's your business doing?" Pam asked.

"Great actually! I've come up with a lot of successful designs, and the store has tons of customers!" Hanna replied.

"How about you Spencer?" Pam asked.

"Well, the case with Mona Vanderwaal has been spreading around like crazy! I hope Rosewood doesn't have anymore people locked up that want me to defend them. I just can't do it with the people I know. There's a lot of drama in this town." Spencer stated.

Pam nodded, and gestured to Ali.

"How about you Alison?" Pam asked.

"Well again, same as Hanna, we're doing great in business." Ali grinned.

Pam gestured to Emily.

"Community service has been great, helping all of the young children! Swim lessons have been very successful, I'd say I have some pretty good swimmers here. Otherwise, my high school students seem to be keeping up with the content." Emily replied.

I figured my turn was coming up, so I began, "Teaching English has been great."

"Thanks Pam." I added.

"So Ezra, I read Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow! The work you did was extremely fabulous, I loved it!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Ezra replied.

Ezra cleared his throat and announced, "I have some big news."

My eyes widened at the statement, and I looked up at Ezra.

"I have been contacted recently, and they want to make Today into a movie!" He cheered.

I got out of my seat and ran into Ezra's arms, "That's great honey!"

"Congratulations!" Everyone, minus the kids, chorused.

"When did you find out?" I asked.

"A week ago. Everything was so hectic, I wanted to wait till a good time." He replied.

"Did you say yes?" I urged.

"Of course!" He exclaimed.

"That's great honey." I repeated.

So, I cuddled into Ezra, as we all sat there together. We finished our burgers, and a sudden knock interrupted us.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you so much for favoriting, following, and reviewing this story!

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"Congratulations!" Everyone, minus the kids, chorused.

"When did you find out?" I asked.

"A week ago. Everything was so hectic, I wanted to wait till a good time." He replied.

"Did you say yes?" I urged.

"Of course!" He exclaimed.

"That's great honey." I repeated.

So, I cuddled into Ezra, as we all sat there together. We finished our burgers, and a sudden knock interrupted us.

Ch 7

Emily POV:

I rose from my chair and opened up the door at the sound of the doorbell. There stood the one and only Noel Kahn.

"Hello Noel." I sneered.

"Emily." He replied.

Everyone including the kids approached the door.

"What are you doing here Mr. Kahn?" Veronica asked.

"I'm here to see the girls." He stated.

"Well, we're having a family dinner. Now isn't a good time." Veronica sneered.

"Sorry to bother you." He whispered.

I shut the door and locked it as he walked out.

"I wonder what that was all about." Ashley muttered.

"Nothing to worry about." Hanna emphasized, letting Ashley know we weren't going to discuss this in front of the kids.

"Who was that?" Sarah asked.

"Just someone I went to school with." I replied.

"Oh!" Sarah squealed.

I brought out the chocolate chip cookie dough cake once again, and everyone dug in immediately.

I love getting together with these wonderful people. It makes me smile to see the girls and the kids smile at their loved ones. As long as everyone's happy, I'm happy.

"Well, I believe it's past your bedtimes." Hanna stated, gesturing to the little ones.

"Alright Mikey, we've gotta go baby." Spencer announced.

"No!" Mikey exclaimed.

"You'll see everyone later." She promised.

I gave Spence a quick hug goodbye, as she waved to everyone, and headed out the door with Mikey on her hip, and Toby.

Hanna stood up, threw her purse over her shoulder, grabbed Bella, and beckoned Caleb.

Soon enough, the parents got up, and Aria did as well.

Everyone exchanged a round of hugs, and soon enough, Ali, Sarah, and I were alone.

Sarah sat there on the floor, looking up at Ali and I.

"It's bedtime sweetie!" Ali called.

I scooped Sarah in my arms, and the 3 of us headed upstairs.

I tucked Sarah into her bed, as Ali and I kissed her goodnight.

I was awfully tired from an insane and stressful day, so Ali and I called it quits as well.

We headed into our queen bed, and I turned off the light of the lamp next to mine. I slowly fell asleep, and waited for the next day to come around.

The Next Morning

I awoke to Ali draped over the bed, and chuckled to myself.

I arose from the bed, and tiptoed over to the other side of the bed.

Ali was peacefully asleep, but she would most likely awaken soon. I grabbed her arms lightly, and picked her up bridal style. I set Ali back down on the bed, and went back to my side. "Good Morning ." I heard.

I turned around on the bed to see Ali awake.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"It's alright, I had to get up anyway." Ali replied with a shrug.

"Alright, so what's the plan for today?" Ali asked.

We were interrupted by a call on my cell. I picked up my phone to see Spencer number on the screen.

"It's Spence." I told Ali and pressed answer.

I put her on speaker and greeted, "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" A bunch of voices chorused.

"Is everyone on this call?" I asked.

"Yep." Aria answered.

"So what's the plan for today?" Ali asked.

"Alright, we show up at The Grille, and ask Maya for help." Spencer stated.

"Have you guys had breakfast?" Spencer asked.

"No." We all chorused.

"Well than, breakfast, on me, minus the guys. I'll pick you up at 9:30." Spence announced.

"Alright, cya later. "I finished, and stood up to get ready.

I threw on a simple blue shirt and jeans, and applied mascara to my eyes. I added concealer to my face, and I grabbed my purse.

Ali stood at the door, in heels, with a pink ruffly top, and dress pants. She had her purse over her shoulder, as well, and we dropped Sarah off at Aria's.

"Thanks for watching her Ez." I smiled.

"No problem, have a nice lunch." He nodded. I waited with Ali outside Aria's door, as Spencer pulled up to the house with her car.

"Good morning ladies!" Spencer grinned.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"Answers." She shrugged.

I shook my head, and headed into the car with the girls.

Hanna was riding shotgun, and Aria sat in between Ali and I.

"Hey!" I protested with a pout.

"I'm the smallest, and I think you and Ali can last 5 seconds without each other stuck like glue." Aria retorted.

"She has a point." Ali agreed.

I rolled my eyes, as we headed to the Grille.

The host greeted us with a smile and asked, "Table or booth?"

"Booth." Hanna insisted.

She lead us to a booth, and placed our silverware on the table.

I sat in between Hanna and Aria, and Spencer and Ali sat on the other side.

Luckily Maya approached our table.

Her face was glued to her notepad, and still looking at the notepad, she announced, "Hello, my name is Maya, and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you off with any drinks?"

She looked up from her notepad, and gasped.

"Uh- Um- Hello Girls- Hey- Emily." She stuttered.

"We'll have orange juices all around please." Spencer ordered.

"Be right back." She whispered.

"Wow." I muttered.

"She was awfully shocked to see us." Hanna commented.

"Well, she did leave on a bad note." Aria pointed out.

Maya came back with 5 orange juices, and set them down on the table.

"What would you like to eat?" She asked.

"I'll have the stack of pancakes, with eggs, and bacon please." I ordered.

"We'll have the same." Spencer ordered for everyone else.

"Actually Maya, I'll have something different." Ali interrupted.

"I'll have the answers sandwich with extra time." Ali ordered.

"What do you want?" Maya sneered.

"Answers." Ali replied.

"We need your help." Spencer whispered.

"How about we discuss it at my home?" Spencer added.

"My shift's done at 10, I'll be ready." Maya replied.

We nodded, as Maya stated, "I'll be right back with your orders."

"Easy." Spencer blurted.

"Very." Ali agreed.

"I wonder if Maya has a car." I murmured.

"I guess we'll have to find out." Hanna replied.

Soon enough, Maya came back with our food, and glanced at her boss, "Enjoy." She whispered.

I dug into my eggs, and they slowly melted in my mouth.

The bacon was nice and crisp, as I like it.

As for the pancakes, they were pretty good. The whipped cream added extra softness and texture to the pancakes.

The other girls nodded, as they were most likely thinking what I was.

"These eggs are the bomb!" Hanna exclaimed.

I chuckled and smiled at Hanna.

All of the sudden, Hanna's phone went off.

"It's Caleb." She whispered.

Hanna put Caleb on speaker, and answered shakily, "Hey babe!"

"Hey princess." He replied.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I found all of the texts from Mona's phone!" He exclaimed.

Hanna looked around, and turned Caleb off speaker.

"No way!" She whispered.

They continued to talk, and Hanna hung up the phone.

"Caleb said that Mona sent texts to Paige, the night of her 'death.' There are also new texts from Noel, telling her that he's gonna break into Radley tonight." Hanna explained.

"Wait, but if the phone's in the safe, how the hell did Mona get it back?" Spencer asked.

"Noel must've snuck it back to her." Aria suggested.

"Or it's a set up from -A." I whispered.

"Either way, we need answers." Ali concluded.

"We have to tell the police about Noel's break in!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, and they'll totally not be concerned about how we know this!" Spencer retorted.

Someone cleared their throat, and I looked up to see Maya standing there, arms crossed.

"How much of that did you actually here?" Spencer asked.

"A good portion." Maya stated.

"Here's your check." Maya said and handed Spencer the check.

Spencer handed her her card in return, and Maya soon handed the card back to Spencer.

I noticed that Maya changed out of The Grille uniform, and was waiting for us at the door.

"Let's go." Maya demanded.

Maya hopped into what I assumed was her car, and followed us to Spencer's.

Spencer lead Maya into the living room, the girls and I tracking behind them.

Maya sat down on the recliner, and demanded, "What's going on?"

"Alright, we have a favor to ask you." Spencer started.

"What's in it for me?" Maya asked, still unconvinced, and crossed her arms.

"Answers." Ali responded.

Maya let her arms fall to her side, and nodded "Continue."

"We sort of broke into Noel Kahn's home." Spencer announced.

"Sort of?" Maya retorted.

Spencer ignored her comment, and continued, "We need you to break into it again. Noel's heading to The Grille for dinner tonight with Paige, and during that time, we need you to break into the house. There's a safe in Noel's home, the password is Mona's birthday. You need to search everything in the safe, and his office. Look for keys to locked drawers, we need to find out more about Mona's death. Noel's in love with Mona, and he's breaking into Radley tonight. We're gonna turn him in."

"Woah. This is a lot to take in." Maya replied.

She took a deep breath, and added "I'm in."

"Seriously?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Thank you." Spencer stated.

"Well, I'm gonna head home, I'll text Aria when I'm on my way to Noel's." Maya concluded, and left Spencer's home.

"I'm surprised." I blurted.

"I thought she wouldn't want to do it." I added.

"Well she is so.." Ali started.

"Well, I may as well head home. Ali and I have to get to work." Hanna announced. I stood up with Ali, and turned to Aria. Aria waved to Spence, and we all walked out.

The four of us headed to Aria's and Ezra opened the door. Sarah was on Ezra's back, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Come here before you choke Ezra!" Ali exclaimed and swiped Sarah from his neck. She passed Sarah into my arms, as I thanked Ezra once again for taking care of her. Aria headed inside, and shut the door behind her. Hanna, Ali, Sarah, and I headed across the street.

Sarah turned around and leaned over my shoulder.

"Hi Auntie Hanna!" She greeted.

"Hi baby girl!" Hanna smiled.

We reached my home, and Hanna waved, as I headed inside my home.

Ali grabbed Sarah from me, and asked, "Did you have fun at Uncle Ezra's?"

Sarah grinned in response.

"Good." Ali smiled.

I unlocked the door, and set Sarah down on the couch.

Ali joined Sarah on the couch, and I joined as well.

"Just me and my girls." I whispered.

"Well, sorry to ruin the mood, but I've gotta go to work." Ali sighed.

"Aw alright." I sighed.

Ali headed upstairs, and I turned to Sarah.

"Do you wanna get your favorite lollipop while Mommy's working?" I asked

Sarah grinned, and I smiled in return.

I squeezed Sarah's hand, and turned on Dora.

Sarah started to sing the theme song in her best way possible.

"Dora, Dora, Dora, the explorah!" She yelled.

Ali poked her head over the stairwell, and grinned.

I waved, and Sarah didn't even notice in the process,.

I shrugged and Ali ventured back upstairs.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed Sarah a glass of milk, and poured myself an energy drink. Before heading back into the living room, I decided to grab a straw for Sarah, just incase something spilled.

I heard Dora ask, "What was your favorite part?"

"Well.. when Swiper.." Sarah started and was interrupted.

"Mine too!" Dora cheered.

Sarah lost her thought and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Another!" She cheered.

Luckily, another episode of Dora came on as she yelled once again, "Dora, Dora, Dora, the explorah!"

I shook my head, and put two coasters down on the table beside the couch.

Sarah sat on my lap, as I passed her her milk.

She took small sips, and I put it back on the table.

Dora had come across Swiper, and Boots immediately ran to her side.

"No!" Sarah cried.

Ali ran downstairs, frantically, with her lipstick in her hands and asked "What's wrong?"

"It's fine babe, Swiper almost stole from Dora." I reassured her.

Ali sighed, and went to the downstairs bathroom to finish her makeup.

I ran upstairs, and grabbed Ali's purse, before she forgets.

Once I came downstairs, Ali exited the bathroom, and began to look around.

"No worries." I assured Ali, and passed her her purse.

"Come on Sarah! Mall time!" I shouted.

"But.." She protested.

"We'll watch Dora later, see?" I asked, and pressed record.

"It'll be ready when we get back." I assured her.

Sarah hopped off of the couch, and the three of us piled into the car.

I drove us to the Rosewood Mall, and we headed inside.

"I'm gonna be late!" Ali shrieked.

"Babe, you'll be fine." I assured her.

It was 5 minutes, before 11, when the store opened.

We headed towards the door, and I held the door for Ali and Sarah.

Ali sped towards Fabulous, as I gave her a kiss goodbye.

"I will check in." I assured her.

Ali ran into Fabulous, and Sarah and I headed into her favorite store; Candyland.

Ali POV:

I took a deep breath, and walked into Fabulous.

Why was I so worried? I own the store, I make the rules, run the store, and all. I looked around and headed to the check in list. I went up to the keypad, and typed in "Alison Fields."

The voice responded, "Success."

Over the intercom, a voice was projected "Alison Fields has checked in."

Man, I love technology.

I scrolled down the keypad, to see that all of the other staff members, except Hanna had checked in.

I headed to the register, and asked Jane, "Has Hanna checked in?"

"No ma'am." She sighed.

I sighed, and got on the escalator.

I waved to my fellow workers, and greeted customers who were going up the escalator.

Fabulous was the place to be. There was Women and Teen clothing available at our store. We sold clothing, purses, makeup, perfume, etc!

Our sales have been off the charts, and I couldn't be happier.

I checked my watch, and saw that it was 11:10 am.

Where was Hanna?

I checked the upstairs keypad, and saw that Hanna just checked in.

I went down the escalator, and went to the front register to find Hanna.

Jane pointed at me, and I walked to Hanna with my arms crossed.

"I know I'm late, I'm sorry. Bella had this huge fit and-" She began to ramble.

"It's fine." I said and rolled my eyes.

"Come on, let's go." I ordered her.

We rode up the escalator, and I headed to the dressing room area.

"Take care of the teen section okay? Make sure everyone's working, and that you give out tips if needed. I'll take care of the dressing rooms." I declared.

I headed to the dressing room area, and saw 5 teenagers waiting.

"How many items?" I asked.

"Four for me, Five for her, Six for her, Three for her, and Seven for her." The teenager replied. I nodded, and unlocked the dressing room doors.

"You guys know what to do right? Press the button once you're done, and I'll check you out.

"Yup, thanks." One of the girls answered.

I headed to the checkout counter, and waited for the sign that they were finished.

"Alert! Alert! Shoplifting alert!" The system wailed.

"Kendra!" I yelled.

Kendra approached me, and I yelled, "Shoplifter!"

Kendra raced down the stairs, and I leaned over to see who was exiting.

Kendra grabbed the teen, and sat her down in a chair.

I got the alert that the five teens were ready, and Hanna headed over towards me. "I have to take care of these girls- there was a shoplifter- Kendra has her- can you take care of it?" I rushed.

Hanna nodded, and headed down the stairs.

Four teens approached me, without any items.

"Wait a second- your friend just shoplifted?" I asked.

They nodded.

"Come with me." I demanded.

I ran down the stairs, to where the head girl of the teens, Kendra, and Hanna stood.

"Kendra can you take over dressing rooms? We've got it from here." I asked and added.

She nodded, and headed upstairs.

"Why were you shoplifting?" Hanna asked.

"We wanted the stuff." The head girl retorted.

"Well I'm afraid that I have to call the police." I told them.

"My mom's gonna kill me." One of the girls groaned.

"You should've thought of that before you shoplifted." Hanna pointed out.

"What are your names?" I asked them.

The four girls gave me their names, and the head girl remained silent.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"Andrea Hackett." She muttered.

Hanna threw back her head and laughed.

"Lucky for you, we know your father." I told her.

"Crap." She whispered.

I dialed the police, and they shortly arrived.

"What's the problem Mrs. Fields?" An officer asked.

"These girls shoplifted from my store." I answered.

"Ah shoplifters." He replied.

"Here's their names." I passed him the sheet.

"Also, if you will, dial the Rosewood High principal, Mr. Hackett, and inform him that his daughter just shoplifted. Thank you." I added.

Another officer approached with handcuffs, and the seven figures headed off.

"Good job." Hanna complimented/

"Thanks." I muttered.

"Let's see what's in the bag." I added.

I poured out the bags contents to find three pairs of shoes, designer dresses, skirts, a few bags, etc. I passed the contents to a few of the workers, and asked "Can you return these to their spots? Thank you."

I headed back upstairs with Hanna, to see a line of people waiting for the dressing rooms. Kendra was ushering people in, but explained that there were already girls in there. "Ladies!" I yelled.

The teens turned and faced me, "Come with me to the downstairs dressing room." I called.

The whole pack began to follow me, I turned around, and called, "Wait! Half of you have to stay up here."

The group divided in half, and I lead the girls downstairs into the other dressing room. Unfortunately, there was a large line downstairs as well.

"Sorry girls, we're pretty packed, you're just gonna have to wait." I apologized.

I knocked on the dressing room doors and addressed everyone in line as well, "We're gonna have to move really fast if-" I started.

Unfortunately, no one was paying attention.

I headed to the intercom microphone and announced, "Hello ladies! I hope everyone is enjoying their days! There is a huge line of people for the dressing rooms, so if you would please try to keep your period of time in the room as fast as possible, thank you!"

Kendra rushed up to me, "There's so many people in line, it's crazy!" She yelled.

"Alright, I'll figure it out." I replied.

I went back to the intercom microphone, and announced "Amy, Lena, Claire, and Marissa, I need you to head to storage and grab all of the material for long lines please, thank you!"

Kendra headed up to the intercom room, as I turned off the microphone.

"They're downstairs miss." She stated.

"Thanks Kendra." I replied.

"I'll help too." She added.

"That would be great, thanks!" I cheered.

I headed over to the women's department to see a long line in their dressing room as well, and luckily, there were separators and a sign saying 'Dressing room line'

I ventured over to Hanna and yelled "This is crazy!"

"I know! I think we need more workers!" She yelled.

"It's so loud in here!" I yelled back.

"I know!" She grinned. We exchanged a quick high five, and I headed to the registers.

Jane called, 'I found some ladies who would like a job interview!"

"Alright!" I called back.

She gestured to six eager teens, and I lead them into my office.

"Hello ladies!" I greeted.

Soon enough, I'd finished interviews with 6 potential workers.

I showed Hanna their applications, and we both agreed that they were all set for the job.

I headed outside, and saw the six girls eagerly waiting.

"Well, you all have the job!" I announced.

"When do we start?' They asked.

I looked at Hanna, and said "Now."

"You can start by unloading the new shipments, and putting everything where it belongs." I told two girls.

I sent two other girls to the dressing rooms, and two to the registers.

I headed back downstairs, to find Emily and Sarah looking at perfume.

Sarah had a Dora marshmallow lollipop in one hand, and her other was laced with Em's.

"Hello!" I greeted.

"Ali, it's crazy in here!" Em yelled.

"I know!" I shouted.

"The dressing rooms are packed!" I added.

I checked the time, and discovered that it was 2:30.

"Woah!" I shouted.

"Hanna!" I called.

"It's two thirty!" I yelled.

"Lunch break?" She asked.

I nodded, and we signed out.

Em and Sarah joined us at lunch as well, as we entered Chipotle.

Em had left me with her order, and went to get Sarah a mini hot dog and fries at another place.

Soon enough, I was cradling two burritos, and waited for Em to come back at a table for four with Hanna. Sarah came back with her mini hot dog and fries. Em lit up at the sight of the burrito, and I passed it to her. We all dug in, and I finished two bottles of water.

"So business is doing really well?" Em asked.

"Yeah! It's crazy! It's like Forever 21 in there!" Hanna referenced to when we were younger and shopped at Forever 21 all the time. There were no more Forever 21s these days. Fabulous took over.

"There were shoplifters, 5 teens. Mr. Hackett's daughter." I added.

'I'm glad you caught them." Em nodded.

"Me too." I muttered in my burrito.

"Are you guys nervous for tonight?" Hanna asked.

"Of course!" Em exclaimed.

Sarah tilted her head to the side.

"You're gonna see all of your Aunties and Uncles again!" I exclaimed.

Sarah clapped her hands and smiled.

"But tomorrow, mama and I have to work, so you'll go to your babysitter's again." I added.

Sarah pouted.

"I know baby. But, if we didn't work, you wouldn't' have Dora." Em pointed out.

Sarah gasped, and Hanna chuckled at her dramatic response.

"Bella gasps all the time too." She stated.

"Our girls are adorable, aren't they?" I asked Hanna and she nodded.

As I finished my burrito, I announced, "Well, Hanna and I have to get back to work."

"Alright, we'll see you soon." Em replied.

Em and Sarah walked away, as I told Em, "I'll text you when I'm done!"

She nodded, and Hanna and I headed back to Fabulous.

I checked the two of us back in, and we walked up to Jane.

"How's everything going?" I asked.

Jen replied, "Great! The dressing room lines have died down a little bit, and our numbers are looking outstanding!"

"Alright, you can swap with Kendra and take care of the dressing rooms." I told her.

"Thank you." She replied, and went upstairs to find Kendra.

I stood by the register, and waited for Kendra to come.

Kendra checked into the register, and I headed to the others.

The two girls who were previously working the registers, had swapped with the other new girls.

I headed back to Kendra, and asked, "How are the new girls doing?"

"Good. They're here till 5. They haven't screwed up as far as I know." Kendra replied.

I nodded, and headed to the upstairs dressing room.

Aria POV:

It was 3:00 and I was still grading papers.

I've been in my office for hours, grading essays.

A soft knock was on the door, and I turned around to see Spencer.

'Hey Spence!" I greeted her.

"Hey!" She responded.

"Grading papers I see." Spencer commented.

"All day." I groaned.

"How about we go to the treehouse?" Spencer suggested.

"We'll be able to chill and relax." She added.

"Alright." I replied.

Spencer smiled, and I shut my office door behind me, as we headed downstairs.

Caleb, Toby, Ezra, Mikey, and Jonathan were all sitting together downstairs.

"Our boys." I whispered.

"That's right." Spencer nodded.

"Well, and Caleb." I added.

"We'll be at the treehouse if you need us!" Spencer called.

She shut the door behind us, as we ventured across the street.

Spencer had her key to Em's backyard, and stuck it into the keyhole of the gate.

We pushed the gate open, and locked it behind us.

I ran up the spiral staircase into the treehouse, and typed in the four digit code.

The treehouse door opened, and I buried myself into the pillows on the floor.

Spencer grabbed out two pints of Ben and Jerrys and whispered, "Don't tell Em."

I nodded, and we dug into the Cookie Dough ice cream.

"This is so good." I gushed.

"I know." Spencer nodded.

"We have the treehouse all to ourselves." I pointed out.

"The ice cream too!" Spencer added.

"And the ice cream." I agreed.

"Have you texted Maya yet?" Spencer asked.

"Nope. According to Caleb, Noel has his dinner at 6." I replied.

Spencer nodded. "It's a shame that the girls aren't here."

"Well, Ali and Hanna work sometimes on the weekends, and Em went to the mall. We just work weekdays." I finished.

'True." Spencer agreed.

We devoured our Ben and Jerry's and I suddenly remembered that my mom is still in town.

"Crap!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"I was supposed to call my mom today!" I murmured.

"Me too!" Spencer exclaimed.

We pulled out our cells, as we called our parents.

"Hey mom!" I greeted.

"Hello Aria." She replied.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" I began.

"It's fine." She snapped.

"You can come over, Spence is over too." I suggested.

"Alright, I'm on my way." She stated.

"Okay so-" I began.

I looked back at my phone and she had hung up.

I sighed.

"My mom's pissed." I told Spence.

"Mine too." She told me.

"My mom's on my way to your place." Spence told me.

"Mine too." I added.

We headed back down the spiral stairs, and back to my home.

"Our moms are coming." I explained.

"As far as I know, Pam and Ashley will be over later. They're catching up with people." Spencer added.

The guys nodded as I awaited the arrival of my cranky mother.

Ali POV:

5 o'clock swung around, and it was time for Hanna and I to head over Aria's, with Em and Sarah. The new recruits signed out, along with Hanna and I. I ended Kendra's shift early, after her long day.I met Em and Sarah at the mall's fountain, and we headed into the parking lot. Hanna hopped into her car, and we headed out to Aria's.

I hopped out of the car, and walked up with the other three girls to Aria's.

Spencer answered the door, and let us in.

Ella, Veronica, Ashley, and Pam already had arrived.

"How was work?" Caleb asked.

"Exhausting." Hanna and I chorused with a groan.

"There was a shoplifter, and there was so many people, sales were crazy.." I began to ramble and was interrupted with a yawn.

"Alright we get it." Toby chuckled.

Aria whipped out her phone and looked at Caleb.

"He's leaving in 10." Caleb nodded.

Aria, I assumed, began to text Maya, and then finished, and turned her phone off.

"We made lasagna!" Pam announced.

"Yes!" I cheered.

Pam had fabulous cooking skills, and everything she made was absolutely heavenous.

I grinned as Aria led Pam to the microwave to heat up the lasagna.

Veronica headed behind the two with brussel sprouts and kale chips.

My mouth watered at the thought of this fabulous dinner.

"Thank you!" I yelled.

Everyone else joined in, in excitement.

Aria headed to the TV to put on Monsters Inc for the kids, and set up a kiddie table there. She placed the chicken nuggets, and Dora Kraft mac and cheese full plates down in front of the kids, along with milk and orange juice. In the middle, there was a stack of napkins for the kids, they were destined to make a mess.

We all gathered around at the dining room table, as Pam served the lasagna to everyone. I sat down in a chair next to Pam, and waited for the brussel sprouts and kale chips to come my way. I loaded my plate with kale chips and brussel sprouts, and passed the bowls to Pam. As soon as the bowl reached Pam's hands, and everyone else got their food, I dug into my lasagna. The meat melted in my mouth in every bite. I was determined to get everything in one bite, the sauce, cheese, noodle, and meat. I successfully scooped everything together, and shoved it into my mouth. The cheese was wrapped around the meat, and the pasta sandwiched the two together. The sauce complimented the pasta well, and everything together tasted perfect.

"This is amazing Pam." I gushed.

"Thanks Alison, but you can be honest about it." Pam replied.

"No seriously Pam, this is perfect." I insisted.

Aria added, "It has such a great flavor!"

Once the lasagna was reduced to crumbs, we all moved onto the kale chips and brussel sprouts.

"This is so good!" I cooed.

"We should make kale chips sometime Ali." Em pointed out.

"It would make a really great snack, or dinner." Spencer agreed, looking at Toby.

The guys had already successfully emptied their plates, and moved on to have seconds.

"There should be a Battle of The Lasagnas." Hanna suggested.

Everyone stopped eating, and looked at Hanna.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Between Ezra and Pam!" Hanna exclaimed.

"They are both outstanding cooks, we'd have to see who makes the best lasagna!" Hanna added.

Caleb and Aria exchanged looks, and Aria announced, "Excuse me."

Aria left the room, and shortly returned.

"Maya's at Noel's." Aria declared.

"Wait what?" Ella asked.

Aria ignored her and asked, "So what about the lasagna battle?"

"Pam and Ezra are gonna have a lasagna contest to see who has the best lasagna." I filled her in.

"Sounds like a great challenge Ez!" I exclaimed.

"I'm in." Ezra stated.

Hanna grinned and looked at Pam.

"Prepare to lose." She told him and finished her lasagna.

"It's on." Ezra smirked.

"You'll have to do it when my mom comes back to Rosewood, since the parents are leaving tomorrow." Em pointed out and Ezra nodded.

"Back to the whole thing about Maya, what?" Ella demanded.

"Remember our discussion? Maya's breaking into Noel's- like right now. She's gonna text me pretty soon with more info." Aria explained.

"Oh okay." Ella replied.

A chime came from Aria's phone and she announced, "Maya found the key's to Noel's drawers. There's a gun permit in one. The only thing is, the gun's missing."

"Which means that he brought it to his meeting with Paige. He could be on the way to Radley as soon as they finish their dinner." I concluded.

Another chime.

"I found pictures of Noel and Mona together.. ew." Aria added, reading Maya's text.

Another chime.

"Maya found a book of plans." Aria announced.

Caleb's computer began to go off from the couch.

Caleb pulled it open, and typed in his password.

"There's a new text, from Noel to Mona." Caleb announced.

He read aloud, "He will pay. I'm on my way."

"Lucas." Aria and Caleb chorused.

"What about Lucas?" Hanna asked.

"Noel's on his way to kill Lucas at Radley, and get Mona out." Caleb and Aria jinxed.


	8. Chapter 8

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"There's a new text, from Noel to Mona." Caleb announced.

He read aloud, "He will pay. I'm on my way."

"Lucas." Aria and Caleb chorused.

"What about Lucas?" Hanna asked.

"Noel's on his way to kill Lucas at Radley, and get Mona out." Caleb and Aria jinxed.

Ch 8

Aria POV:

I grabbed my coat, and ran out the door with the girls, and the guys, as we ran to the cars. The girls and I took my car, the guys took the other. We sped to Radley, as I handed Spence my phone to call Maya, and she put it on speaker.

"Maya. Get the hell out of there, go back to your apartment. Put everything back the way you found it. Call the police about the Radley incident." Spencer commanded.

"Alright." Maya replied and hung up.

"Call the police Em." Spence demanded.

"But I thought you just-" Em started.

Spencer held up her hand, "Maya could get kidnapped by -A, something could happen to her. Call the police." She explained.

Emily called the police, using star 67.

"Hello. Hi, I'd like to put in an anonymous tip that tonight, right now at Radley Sanitarium, a murder is occurring, a break in as well. Get there as fast as you can." Em demanded.

"Okay. Thank you, we're on our way." The officer replied.

"Hurry!" Em yelled and hung up.

We parked outside Radley, and waited. The girls and I spotted Noel, and we sunk in our seats.

I called Caleb, and put him on speaker.

"We called the police." I stated.

"Alright good." He replied.

"It looks like Noel's in." Caleb announced, and we all turned around to see Noel head into Radley.

I heard a familiar police siren, and turned to see the police head into Radley.

"Caleb, we have to follow them. Noel has a gun, he could kill them!" Hanna exclaimed.

We got out of our cars, and followed the police into Radley.

The lady at the desk was unconscious, and Em let out a sob.

All of the nurses lay passed out on the floor.

I spotted Noel heading into Mona's room.

The police yelled towards him, "This is the police. Put your hands up and face the wall!"

Noel brought his gun up to his face, and shot a bullet in the direction of the officer. The officer ducked, and Toby ran into the scene, and fired a gunshot at Noel.

We ran down a hallway at Radley, and hid behind the wall.

My heart was pounding as I hoped to hear the police.

Toby and Ezra poked their heads around the wall, and waited.

The two officers had Noel in handcuffs, and I cried out, "Wait!"

The officers turned around, as I stepped into the clearing, the guys in front of me, girls behind me.

"There are mental patients here. They need nurses to watch the corridors!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry miss but we can't do anything about this on such short notice." The officer replied.

"Unless you're me." A familiar voice said.

I spun around to see Wren walk into Radley.

"Wren!" Spencer yelled and gave him a hug.

"How? Why-" She started.

"I got a text from -A, I came here from London earlier today, and rushed to Radley.

Several more figures emerged from behind him.

Melissa and her children stood behind Wren and emerged into the clearing.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked and gave Melissa a hug.

"I couldn't leave Wren, and I couldn't leave the kids." Melissa shrugged.

"I called in some more specialists, we're all covered officer." Wren assured him.

The officer shrugged and stalked off, with Noel and the other officer.

Emily had come back into the clearing, "I called the hospital, they're sending the nurses there."

"Good, now let's go home." I told everyone.

Wren stayed at Radley, assuring us that the others would be there soon, and Melissa's car followed ours.

We all headed back to my home along with Melissa and the kids. We entered the house, to the parents and kids.

"Melissa?" Veronica asked.

"Hi mom." Melissa waved.

"Aren't you due in a week?" Veronica demanded.

Melissa nodded.

"You shouldn't have flown." Veronica scolded.

"I'm gonna take the kids and Melissa back to my home, Spencer. Thank you Pam and Aria for dinner. I need to get them home." Veronica announced.

Veronica exchanged hugs with Ashley, Pam, and Ella, and headed out with Melissa and the kids.

"What happened?" Ashley demanded.

"Noel was at Radley, we called the police, and discovered that tons of nurses were unconscious. Noel was arrested. I'm sure it'll be on the news. I'm really tired, and I'd rather talk about it tomorrow." I sighed.

I ushered the parents out as everyone exchanged goodbyes, and headed to sleep.

The Next Morning

My alarm went off at 5:00 am. I groaned, looked over at my sleeping Ezra, and got ready. I slipped on my slippers, and grabbed a ruffly shirt, sweatpants, and heels. Once I was dressed, I simply put on mascara, lipstick, and concealer.

I headed downstairs as quietly as possible, grabbed my purse from the couch, and grabbed some breakfast. Once I sat down to eat, I grabbed a pen and sticky note from my purse. I wrote on the note:

Good morning love!

I hope you have a fabulous day! I told John's babysitter that I'd drop him off at 9:00. Please do the laundry, and prep for chicken parm tonight, cya later.

-Aria

I finished my breakfast, and headed out. I drove to Rosewood High, and prepped for my first period students. I heard a knock on my classroom door, and turned around. I saw Emily in the door's window, and swung open the door.

"Hey Em." I greeted.

"Hey Ar, the Noel ordeal was on the news last night." She told me.

Em approached me, and passed me her phone.

Newscaster: Last night, at approximately 6:30 pm, Noel Kahn broke into Radley Sanitarium with the hopes to kill one of the patients (anonymous). Mr. Kahn was arrested last night and will have a trial in 3 weeks. This patient survived, and was not injured. Anonymous sources that night had saved the day and told the Rosewood Police about this break in. They discovered nurses laying down on the floor, unconscious. Luckily, these sources told us at the right time, or the nurses would've been dead. They are now in a stable condition. Mrs. Vanderwaal has been questioned about this murder case, and has apparently something to do with it. Wren Kingston was in town, and maintained control of Radley that night, along with the help of other specialists. More information will come later.

"Wow. I'm not surprised." I replied.

"It's good that Noel was arrested though." I added.

"Yeah." Em nodded.

I looked out the window, and saw buses starting to pull into Rosewood High.

Em squeezed my hand and said, "I'll text you, and we'll meet up later. Lunch?"

I nodded, and Em headed outside as I waited for my first period class to file in.

Soon enough, my first period class filed into the room.

"Good morning class, we'll start off with a discussion about The Great Gatsby, and move on to your essay grades." I announced.

Spencer POV:

I sat in my office chair, going through files, and got a call from Rosewood's Men's Correctional Facility. I tilted my head to the side, and picked up the phone.

Operator: Call from inmate Noel Kahn

Noel: Spencer Spencer please.

Me: What do you want Noel?

Noel: Be my lawyer.

Me: Hell no!

Me: Why would you think that after you set me up, lied to me, and tried to kill someone; that I would be your lawyer? That's sick.

Noel: Please Spencer I'm-

I hung up the phone and shook my head.

There was a knock on my door, and I turned around.

Toby came in the room and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Noel wants me to be his lawyer." I replied and rolled my eyes.

"You said no right?" He asked.

"Of course I did! I don't want to be his lawyer!" I exclaimed.

"Good." Toby nodded.

I stood up, and grabbed my coat from its rack.

"Where are you going?" Toby asked.

"Rosewood P.D. I'm gonna check out Noel's file, and some others." I stated.

"You aren't possibly thinking about being his lawyer, are you?" He asked.

"No, but I could use the money.." I started.

"Spencer you shouldn't do it. It's clear that he broke into Radley, no doubt!" He yelled.

"I'm still heading to the P.D." I replied.

I walked out of my office door, and headed upstairs, and out the door.

I hopped in my car and drove to Rosewood P.D.

As I was pulling out of the driveway, I saw Ali and Hanna walking with Bella and Sarah.

I rolled down my windows, as they waved.

Hanna shouted, "Where are you going?"

"Rosewood P.D." I yelled.

Hanna and Ali exchanged looks, as I drove off to the P.D.

I pulled into Rosewood P.D. and greeted the officers as I walked in.

I went to the front desk to find out info, and saw one of the officers that arrested Noel.

"Hello." He greeted.

"Hi." I replied.

Since I was one of the anonymous sources, I headed to another officer instead.

"Hi my name is Spencer Cavanaugh" I introduced myself.

A lieutenant came up besides the officer and asked, "What is your interest being at the P.D.?"

"I'm a Rosewood citizen, and also a lawyer, I'd like to take a look at Noel Kahn's file." I replied.

"I'm afraid the information is confidential." The officer snorted.

"Well, I'm Noel's lawyer." I replied.

"Well by all means , here you go." The lieutenant said and passed me the file.

I sat down at a desk, and flipped through the papers.

Noel Kahn

Gender: Male

DOB, Birthplace, Scene of the crime, etc.

Charged with: Breaking into Radley

I continued to flip through the file, and found nothing useful.

I put everything back where I found it, and told the lieutenant, "Thank you."

The officer and lieutenant nodded, and I headed out of the P.D.

I walked back into my home, to find Ali, Hanna, Toby, Caleb, and Ezra on the couches.

"Hey guys." I greeted.

"Shouldn't you be working?" I asked.

"Ezra and Caleb had already done the browsing and writing that they needed to." Toby replied.

"Sales aren't usually good on Mondays." Ali whispered.

"We wanna know why you were at the P.D." Hanna stated.

"Noel asked me to be his lawyer, I said no, and still wanted to check out his case." I replied.

"But why didn't you tell us first?" Ali butted.

"I was gonna tell you once I got home." I replied.

"What's the big deal guys?" I asked.

"You would want to work with your enemy on his case." Ezra pointed out.

"I never said that I wanted to!" I exclaimed.

"I just wanted to check out his case, for answers!" I added.

"Why didn't you take us with you?" Caleb asked.

"They would've never let you all see the file! I'm a lawyer, so they let me!" I yelled.

"Okay Spence." Toby whispered.

I put my hands in my hair and whispered, "I'm sorry, okay?"

"No, we're sorry for going off on you like that." Ali replied.

The others nodded in agreement.

"It's okay." I murmured.

"Seriously though, go to work!" I exclaimed at Hanna and Ali.

"I'll come too!" I added.

"I need new shoes anyways." I insisted.

The girls nodded, and we headed to the Rosewood Mall.

We headed inside of Fabulous, and I waited near the register as Ali and Hanna checked in.

The girls lead me to the woman's department, and I tried on some shoes.

I wound up buying a pair originally designed by Ali, that she insisted were my taste. They were black heels with two studs on the sides, a buckle wrapped around my legs three times. I had to admit, they looked amazing on me. I was beyond proud of my two best friends for running this successful business.

"I'm so proud of you." I told them.

"Aw thanks Spence." Hanna replied and gave me a hug.

"Thanks." Ali nodded.

All of the sudden, I got a call from my mom.

"Hey mom what's up?" I asked.

"Melissa's having the baby!" She exclaimed.

The girls both looked scared, as I told them, "Melissa's having the baby!"

I quickly went out of the store, and bought baby clothes, and sped off to the hospital.

I waited in the waiting room, as my mom approached me.

"How's Melissa?" I asked.

"She's doing great." Veronica replied.

"They're only letting Wren, the kids, and I see her." She added.

"Oh." I stated.

"How about I take the kids out for ice cream?" I suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea." Veronica nodded.

"I'll be right back with them." She added.

I sat down in a chair, and went on my phone until she came back with the kids.

Bethany, Aaron, and Matt came into the waiting room behind Veronica.

"Aunt Spence!" Bethany exclaimed and gave me a hug.

"Hey kid, how's it going?" I asked, returning the hug.

"Great!" She exclaimed.

Aaron and Matt just stood there and I joked, "No hug for me?"

I bent down and little Matt came up to me with a smile.

Aaron followed and gave me a hug.

"That's more like it." I grinned, and ruffled Matt's hair.

"Who's up for ice cream?" I asked.

"Me!" They chorused.

I waved goodbye to Veronica, as I headed outside into my car with the kids.

I made sure they got in the car safely, and started to drive away.

"So how have you been?" I asked.

"Well, I've been playing volleyball, and was voted MVP!" Bethany cheered.

"No way!" I exclaimed.

She nodded.

"I heard you're a great soccer player." I told Aaron.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed.

"Matt, you've grown so much! You're a man now, entering preschool!" I teased.

Matt just smiled in return.

"Does he always smile?" I asked Bethany.

She nodded and replied, "Pretty much."

"Alright then." I nodded.

"How do you do in school Bethany?" I asked.

"I'm a straight A student!" She bragged.

"Ahhh.. a Hastings at heart." I commented.

She tilted her head to the side, and I just added, "Nevermind."

I pulled into Rosewood Mall and explained, "This is our community's mall. It's really cool."

Bethany nodded as I pulled into a parking space, and let the kids out.

I headed into Fabulous, and Aaron remarked, "Ew! Girls!"

"It's okay, we aren't staying here." I reassured him.

Hanna and Ali approached the kids and both greeted, "Hello!"

"Beth, I'm gonna leave you with Hanna and Ali okay? I think you need some new clothes." I stated.

"Alright cool!" She exclaimed.

"It's on me alright?" I asked.

Hanna and Ali nodded, and I told them, "Text me once you're finished, I have to get the kids lunch."

"We'll get ice cream later." I reassured them.

"You remember Hanna and Ali right?" I asked Bethany.

She nodded.

I squeezed her hand and exclaimed , "If you need anything, call me!"

I took Aaron and Matt into the toy store, and let them browse around.

Matt picked up a few stuffed animals, as Aaron showed Matt some games.

I took the opportunity to text Toby.

Me: Melissa's having the baby. I'm at the mall with her kids, treating them to food, ice cream, and clothes.

Toby: Alright have fun babe, tell them Uncle Toby says hi!

Me: I will!

Aaron called out, "Auntie Spence!"

I looked up from my phone.

"Yes Aaron?" I asked.

"Can I have this game?" He asked.

"Of course!" I exclaimed.

He picked it up, and Matt had already grabbed a stuffed animal.

I led the boys to the register, and told Matt, "This man just has to see this for a second, you'll have it right back, okay?"

Matt pouted and nodded.

I put up the animal and board game came on the counter, and payed for the items.

He bagged the board game and stuffed animal, and passed it to me.

"Thank you." I stated.

I pulled over once we were out of the store, and bent down to Aaron's level.

"Aaron, this is a busy place. I need you to do me a huge favor. Make sure Matt holds on super tight to his stuffed animal, and that it doesn't drop, okay?" I told him.

He nodded, and I passed Matt his stuffed animal.

I let the boys browse a few more stores, and I texted Ali.

Me: Almost done?

Ali: Yes!

Me: Send Hanna down to watch the boys please; we're at the food court.

Ali: Sure thing!

I saw Hanna approach me, and I told the boys, "I'm gonna go pick up Bethany, I'll be at the store right over there. Hanna will watch you." I gestured to Hanna and the store.

I told Hanna, "Make sure this little one holds onto his stuffed animal!"

She nodded, as I passed her the bag from the toy store.

I headed into Fabulous, and found Ali and Bethany waiting by the register.

"Did she try everything on? Does it all fit?" I asked Ali.

She nodded, and I handed the woman at the register by card.

The total was $100 and my eyes widened. I looked at Ali, and she whispered something to the woman in the register's ear.

The price reduced to $50, and I reluctantly handed her my card.

"I'll pay you back later." I whispered in Ali's ear.

Ali waved it off, and the three of us walked back to Hanna and the boys.

Ali and Hanna sat down at our table, and I took the kids to get food.

Aaron, Matt, and I got a hotdog and fries. Bethany, however, decided on a burger.

We headed back to the table where the girls were sitting, and I let them get their food, as I watched their stuff. The two came back with salads, and we all feasted on our food.

I was surprised, the kids had finished their whole meals. Mikey usually wasted a lot of his food. I waved goodbye to the girls as Bethany called out, "Thank you!" to Ali and Hanna. I lugged the bags to the ice cream stand, as the four of us got ice cream. I got vanilla, Bethany got Mint Chocolate Chip, Aaron got Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Mikey got vanilla as well. I led the kids to the car, as I had Bethany hold my ice cream, so I could put the bags in the trunk.

The kids and I sat in the car until we finished our ice cream, and I took them back to my home.

I was greeted by Toby, Caleb, and Ezra,who were on the couches.

"Hi boys!" I greeted.

They waved, and the kids came in behind me.

I set the bags down on the floor next to the door, and sat down on the couch.

The kids went over and piled all over Toby.

"Hey guys!" Toby exclaimed with a grin.

Aaron and Bethany both said, "Hey Uncle Toby!"

Matt just smiled and I shook my head.

"The kid says nothing!" I groaned at Toby.

"What's in all of those bags, did you buy the whole mall?" Ezra joked.

"Actually, I've seen worse.. Hanna." Caleb pointed out.

The adults and I all chuckled at that comment.

"Hanna and Ali helped Bethany out with some clothing options. Mikey got a stuffed animal, and Aaron got a board game for his family." I explained.

I set the clothing bag down on the dining room table, as Bethany followed me.

I dumped out the contents to find two dresses, 4 different outfits, shoes, a cross body bag, and a perfume roller.

"Woah!" I exclaimed.

"They really hooked you up!" I added.

Bethany nodded in agreement.

I got a text from Veronica, who said she'd be over in 5.

"Grandma's coming over in 5 minutes." I told the kids.

I headed upstairs to find Mikey on the floor, surrounded by toys and stuffed animals.

"Mama!" He exclaimed.

"Mikey!" I exclaimed back.

I picked him up, and carried him downstairs.

Mikey ran up to Matt, and gave him a hug.

Mikey gave Aaron, and Bethany hugs as well,

"Good boy." I praised.

However, I noticed that Mikey was still hugging Bethany.

"That's my boy." Toby praised as well, earning chuckles from the other guys.

Mikey still held on to Bethany firmly, and I had to pull him off her legs.

"Sorry about that." I apologized.

"It's alright." Bethany shrugged with a chuckle.

The doorbell rang, and I opened the door to see my mom.

"Hi mom!" I exclaimed.

"Spencer." She nodded.

The kids poked their heads around the corner and saw Veronica.

"Hi guys!" Veronica exclaimed.

Mikey, Matt, Bethany, and Aaron went up to give Veronica a hug.

Once again, I swooped in to save the day, and grabbed Mikey from Veronica's legs.

"Well Tobes, we're gonna head back to our homes." Ezra stated.

"Alright bye guys." Toby replied.

The two men headed outside, leaving Toby alone on the couch.

The kids had ran outside and began to play, leaving Toby, Veronica, and I outside.

"How's Melissa?" Toby asked Veronica.

"She's hanging in there. They said that the baby should be here tomorrow." Veronica replied.

"I can't wait!" I exclaimed.

I would get another niece, since Melissa had told me that it's a girl.

"I'm going to spoil her like crazy." I added.

"That's good. I know you will." Veronica chuckled.

I nodded.

"I will too." Veronica added.

I smiled.

My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see a text from Ali that her and Han were on their way.

Emily POV:

1:30 am; Rosewood High

The bell went off, signaling that it was my lunch break.

My 7th period class headed out the door, and I headed over to Aria's classroom.

Students were filing out of her class, and they greeted me, "Hello Mrs. Fields!"

I smiled back, and headed into Aria's classroom as soon as the last student exited.

"How's your day been?" Aria asked.

"Busy." I replied.

"The grades have been great though." I added. My students had a chem midterm this morning, and the grades were all in the A and B range.

"How about you?" I returned.

"A's and B's. Two C's though." Aria replied.

"Well, AP Bio and AP English Lit are some pretty hardcore classes." I pointed out.

Aria nodded, "We handled it and pulled our way through in high school."

Both Aria and I had AP classes in high school, along with Spencer and Hanna. Some people underestimated Hanna because they thought she was dumb, but really, Hanna was almost Spencer smart.

I sat down at one of the desks, and Aria sat down in the one next to mine.

We pushed the two desks facing each other, and headed to the teachers lounge.

I greeted the other teachers on my way in, and Aria and I heated up our lasagna. We headed back to Aria's classroom, and dug into the lasagna. My mouth just watered at the sight of my mother's lasagna. It was by far the best I've ever had. I've always wondered why Pam didn't become a cook. Aria began to study me for a while, and read my mind.

"Pam should be a cook." Aria stated.

"Ezra should too!" I exclaimed.

"Pam makes excellent lasagna and desserts." I started.

"Ezra makes beautiful burgers, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, chicken parm, etc." Aria finished.

"That Battle of The Lasagnas idea might not be such a bad idea." I commented.

"True. It was pretty smart of Han to come up with the idea." Aria agreed.

"Isn't it crazy though?" I asked.

"What?" Aria asked.

"That Hanna and Ali are sisters." I finished.

"Yeah it is." Aria agreed.

"I mean, she doesn't get her hair color from Ashley. She doesn't have the same brown hair as Tom either." I pointed out.

"True." Aria agreed.

"Thank god we get to go home after this." I sighed.

Aria's phone chimed and she read aloud, "Oh. Spence texted me while I was teaching I guess, Melissa's having her baby. It isn't going to come till tomorrow though."

"Woah that's crazy. I mean she flew from England when she was heavily pregnant." I added.

"Yeah, she shouldn't have. But Wren needed to come here, and she couldn't take care of the kids alone." Aria pointed out.

"True." I agreed.

I threw my empty paper plate of lasagna in the trash, Aria did after me.

We walked out of Rosewood High with our things, and hopped in our seperate cars. I picked Sarah up from her babysitter's on the way, and headed home. I pulled into my driveway, as I recieved a text from Ali, "Hey, we're at Spence's."

I grabbed my things, and dropped them off at home.

"We're heading over Auntie Spence's, do you need anything?" I asked.

Sarah went upstairs and came back down with her teddy bear.

I grabbed Sarah's hand and my purse, as we walked across the street.

I approached Spencer's driveway, and headed inside her home.

"Hey Em!" Everyone greeted.

I looked around to see all of the girls, including Aria, their husbands, Ali, the kids, Veronica, and Melissa's kids.

I waved, and Sarah ran up to Bella.

Mikey came over, and gave me a huge hug.

I bent down and lifted the little guy off of the floor, and into my arms.

Mikey wrapped his arms around my neck, and we stayed like that for a while.

Spencer came over, pulled Mikey off of me, and closed the door.

She set Mikey back down, and I ran to the couch before he could catch me.

Mikey ran over as fast as his little toddler legs could carry him, and crossed his arms angrily when he had noticed that I beat him to the couch.

"Sorry little guy." I shrugged and ruffled his hair.

Mikey ran over to the other kids, as they began a small conversation.

"How was work?" Ali asked Aria and I.

"Busy." We chorused and exchanged a look.

"As usual." I added.

"How about you?" Aria returned, gesturing to Ali and Hanna.

"Good." They nodded.

"Spence?" I asked.

"Well, Noel called me from prison and asked me to be his lawyer." She stated.

"What?" Aria and I asked.

"I know I know. I said no. I went to the PD to find out if there was anyway he could win the case, and he will definitely stay in prison." She explained.

Aria and I nodded.

I decided to remain quiet, based off of the stressed look on Spencer's face.

Ali changed the topic, "We helped Bethany pick out some outfits." She said gesturing to her and Hanna.

I looked at Bethany and smiled, "Cool!'

Bethany added, "I got two dresses, four outfit combinations, shoes, a cross body, perfume.." She began to ramble.

"It seems like they really hooked you up." Aria pointed out.

Veronica interrupted, "I didn't know you took the kids shopping."

"I did. Matt got a new stuffed animal, Aaron got a board game, and Bethany got clothes." Spencer clarified.

Veronica nodded, "You didn't have to do that."

Spencer tensed up, "I'm their aunt, it's what I'm here for."

Toby calmed the tension in the room, and asked "Who's up for a round of Apples to Apples?"

"Bethany could play too." Spencer pointed out.

"Yeah!" Bethany exclaimed.

Spencer went into her game closet, and grabbed Apples to Apples, along with a soccer ball.

"Alright little ones, you can play soccer." She said, leading them outback with the soccer ball.

"I'll go watch them." Veronica volunteered and headed outside.

The rest of us gathered around the table, along with Bethany and began to play Apples to Apples.

"Do you know how to play Bethany?" Aria asked.

She shook her head no, and Spencer began to explain, "Alright so there are two cards: a red one and a green one. The green cards are different topics, the red cards are different nouns. Let's say the green card was Best, and you look at your cards and you have, Michael Jackson, soccer, a TV show, etc, you'd pick the card that you think best fits the category. If you can't find anything, then you just put in something random. The green cards are picked by the judge, who is randomly determined. If the judge picks the card that you put in, then you get to judge. There are 7 red cards per person. After you put in a red card, faced down, somewhere in a pile near the judge, then grab another red card so you go from 6 cards back to 7. The judge reads the card aloud, and then picks one. He/she may eliminate a card along the way. Be sure to not read the cards until everyone finishes putting them in. Also, keep the cards faced down at all times. We'll make a discard pile though, that'll have cards faced up to tell the difference. The object of the game is to get the most green cards. Make sure not to show anyone your cards, or say "I put in Michael Jackson!" You want it to stay very secretive. Got it?"

Bethany nodded, "I understand."

"How about we have a practice round, so Bethany can get used to the feel of the game. She can judge, and then whoever wins, will judge the first official round." I suggested.

"Great idea Em." Spencer nodded.

I looked around, and there were no protests.

Ezra dealt 7 cards per person, and we started the game.

Bethany picked a green card, and put it in the center.

"Delicious." She read aloud.

She waited for everyone to put in a card in the pile in front of her, and she shuffled them. She started to read them aloud one by one, "Bacon. Rice. Feet. Mashed Potatoes. The sun. Toast. Guacamole. Finally, steak."

I watched carefully as Bethany eliminated Rice, Feet, Toast, and the sun. Mashed potatoes, Guacamole, steak, and Bacon still remained. Bethany sat there for quite some time, and held up the card "Guacamole." Caleb waved at her, and she passed him the green card.

"Is everyone ready to start?" Caleb asked.

We all nodded, as he read aloud the card, "Best."

We had been playing for nearly two hours, Spencer and Ali had gone back and forth for hours now.

"How many green cards does everyone have?" Spencer asked.

"6." Ali and Spencer started.

Hanna and I had three, Aria and Bethany had four, Ezra and Caleb had 5, Toby has two. I frowned sympathetically at Toby, but couldn't help but to chuckle.

"This is the final round." Spencer declared.

"Whoever wins this, wins the game." Spencer finished.

Unfortunately for Ali, Spencer would most likely win, because she was judging. Five minutes after the intense competition, Spencer had won and did a small celebration dance. Everyone helped and cleaned up the game.

"Good game." I announced.

Everyone else chorused, "Good game," as well.

The kids came back inside from playing their game, and Veronica came in to announce,'I'm going to take the kids back to the hospital."

Spencer nodded, and waved goodbye to the kids.

Everyone followed by waving.

We watched as Veronica left, and the tension in the room had vanished.

"Well she was grumpy." Toby commented.

"She's just annoyed that I spoiled the kids." Spencer added with an eye roll.

Toby squeezed Spencer's hand in reassurance.

Spencer sighed and sat down on the couch.

We all sat down on the couch as well.

"So, how's business doing at Fabulous?" I asked.

"Off the charts! We had so many customers, as you saw the other day. We'll have a big sale one of these days." Hanna replied.

"That's great!" I exclaimed.

"Do you guys think you'll need more employees?" Spencer asked.

"We actually hired six more the other day, but yeah." Ali replied.

"It sounds like it's Forever 21 in there!" Aria exclaimed.

Ali and Hanna exchanged a look.

"What?" Ezra asked.

"We actually made that reference from when we were younger the other day!" Hanna exclaimed.

"No way!" Spencer exclaimed.

"That's so crazy lol." Caleb said.

Throughout the rest of the night, we talked, and had dinner together.

Around 8 o'clock, we all headed home, and I went to bed early because I had work the next day.

Aria POV:

I woke up the next day at 5:00 once again, and wrote Ezra another sticky note.

I headed to work for another day, and headed to work. My first period class walked in, and I grabbed their midterm scantrons from my desk.

I passed out all of the midterms, and stood in front of the class.

I used my pointer to show the class that the grades averaged around a 93%.

"Great job!" I praised them.

"As for the essays, they were good, but you guys could've done so much better! I see so much potential in each and everyone of you!" I announced.

I passed my pointed in my hands, and pointed to a second grade next to "Pd 1" "Your essay averages were an 80.6%." I added.

"Did anyone in the class get a 100%?" A student asked.

"One person, Andy did." I replied.

There was applause for one of my best students, Andy for getting a 100 on his midterm. I spent the rest of the period talking to the students about their essays, and what we could do to improve them.

Spencer POV:

The next morning, I got up early, and got a shower. Melissa would have her baby soon, and I wanted to be there to see my niece. I put on my clothes, and grabbed my purse. I saw Toby sitting on the bed when I walked back into my bedroom.

"Good morning!" I greeted him.

"Good morning." He returned.

I went downstairs, and made pancakes.

Toby came downstairs, and he wrapped his arms around me as I made the pancakes. I set them down on a big plate, and stuck the plate on top of the stove. Toby and I snuggled together on the couch, and we watched Good Morning America.

"I'm so proud of you." Toby whispered.

I turned around and tilted my head, "What did I do?" I asked.

"Well for one, you're a great mom." He began.

"You support your family, and help out you nieces and nephews." He added.

"You're a great wife." He continued.

"You're a great best friend." He finished.

"Thanks Tobes." I smiled.

I went back to the stove, and heated up pancakes for us.

I grabbed whipped cream from the fridge, and sprinkled chocolate chips on top of the whipped cream. Toby and I sat down on the couch and ate our pancakes and chocolate chips together. I started to make us coffee, as I got a call from my mom.

"It's time." She said.

"I'm on my way." I replied and hung up the phone.

"I'm headed to the hospital, there's pancakes on the stove for Mikey, and-" I rambled.

Toby waved it off as I grabbed my coat, and purse, and headed out the door.

I sped to the hospital, and pulled into a parking space.

I headed up to the front desk and greeted the woman there, "Hi I'm here to see my sister, Melissa Kingston." I told her.

"Hello. Please wait on the B level, and once a doctor, or family member let's you know it's okay to see the patient, head to room B203." She replied.

I thanked her and headed up the elevator to the B level, and sat down in a waiting room chair. Veronica came out, and let me know "You can come in."

Veronica lead me to B203 and I took a deep breath.

I walked in to see the kids, and Wren in chairs, and Melissa on the hospital bed cradling a baby girl. She was all wrapped up, and Melissa's face was slightly flushed.

"Hello everyone!" I greeted.

I handed Wren the bag of baby clothes, and Melissa passed me my niece.

"She's beautiful!" I remarked.

"What's her name?" I asked.

Melissa and Wren looked at each other, and Melissa said, "Spencer."

"What?" I asked.

"No not you Spencer, this is Spencer!" Melissa exclaimed.

I felt so honored.

"Spencer Marie Kingston." Wren finished.


	9. Chapter 9

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"What's her name?" I asked.

Melissa and Wren looked at each other, and Melissa said, "Spencer."

"What?" I asked.

"No not you Spencer, this is Spencer!" Melissa exclaimed.

I felt so honored.

"Spencer Marie Kingston." Wren finished.

Ch 9: Hanna's Flashbacks

Spencer POV

I gazed down at Little Spencer once again, and passed her back to Melissa.

"She's so beautiful." I stated.

Mini Spencer began to cry.

I waved goodbye to Melissa, and headed outside.

I drove back to my home, and was greeted by Mikey and Toby.

"You have a new cousin!" I told Mikey.

Mikey smiled and hugged my legs.

I bent down, and tugged him off of my legs, "Hello baby." I cooed.

Mikey grinned again, and I beckoned Toby to the sofa.

We cuddled up against Mikey, as I turned a kid's show on for him.

"Bethany." Mikey gurgled.

Toby and I looked at each other, and back at Mikey.

"What?" I asked him.

"Bethany." He repeated.

Toby and I burst into laughter, and Mikey pouted in response.

He fixated his eyes on the television, and I fell asleep next to my two boys.

Hanna POV:

At 9:30 am, I went over Ali's with Bella so we could look over our earnings for the month. Ali was snuggled up on the couch with Sarah, and the two were watching Dora. Bella ran over and sat next to Sarah, and Ali led me to her office.

I passed Ali the totals, and she roamed the paper. I examined her blue eyes, and curly blonde hair. I thought back to the time when Ali and I began to mend our friendship, along with the other girls as well.

Flashback:

"Can we start over?" Ali asked me as we walked out of our trials.

I nodded.

"Thank you." Ali whispered.

I wrapped my arms around Alison, and we embraced for several minutes.

"Come on, let's go back to my place." I told her.

She nodded, and I beckoned the other girls.

My mom came outside, and I asked her, "Can you take everyone home?"

She nodded, and we all headed back to my house to celebrate.

Ali and I were free.

We were proven not guilty.

I couldn't believe it!

I came back home and gestured for the girls to follow me upstairs.

We gathered around in my room, and I sat on my bed, the girls surrounding. Ali joined me on my bed, and the girls sat on pillows on the floor with their arms crossed.

"Guys, we're gonna start over." I started.

"Why should we? She got you arrested!" Spencer exclaimed.

"It wasn't Ali's fault. Ali isn't -A." I insisted.

"It's all -A's fault. We didn't do anything." Ali whispered.

"We can't trust you." Aria whispered towards Ali.

All of the girls exchanged a look, and Ali looked at them.

"I want to start over. I really do. I know Hanna believing it just isn't enough for you. I'm so sorry for all of the things I did, all of the things I said. I didn't kill Mona, and I don't know who did. I've been in prison for quite a while, and I've had time to think. I am so sorry about my actions. What I said back then just wasn't right. I wanted power, I wanted to be the Queen Bee. It felt great when it finally happened, but over the years, I realized it was the worst thought and mistake of my life. Emily: I've always loved you. I was scared to admit it, and I always have. You weren't wrong for feeling that way so many years ago. I treated you better than everyone else, but the moments when I hurt you, I never can forgive myself. Spencer: I've always envied your smarts. You bring great ideas to everyone, and for that I hurt you. Aria, I hurt you too. I made you see your father cheating on your mother with another woman. I wanted you all to feel the pain that I had once felt. After all, that's what I thought and told you that would bring us together: secrets. Secrets never brought us together though, in the end, it tore us apart. I wanted to protect you. I lied to each and everyone of you to do so. I gave you so much alcohol- so I could sneak in to see Ian. Little did I know, I could've died that night. Ian was an ass, and I didn't want him to hurt you guys. I didn't want anyone to stop me. You would've found out about their club, and that would've uncovered so many lies. I had to lie to protect more of my lies. This just made everything worse. I'm so sorry. I'm so.. so sorry. " She sobbed.

"Ali." Em sobbed.

"I'm sorry too." Em added.

Spencer sat there tensely, and watched this exchange.

She finally spoke up, "What you did Ali, it wasn't right. It really wasn't. But if you want to start over, you can't lie to us."

"No more secrets." Aria added.

"No more secrets." Ali agreed and squeezed our hands.

"Everything I told the police is true, I wasn't at the scene of Mona's murder." She assured us.

I nodded.

"I was scared for you guys." Spencer admitted.

"After the -A messages, and evidence, I believed you Ali. You didn't kill Mona." She added.

"Thank you." Ali whispered.

"So, what's it like being in prison?" Em asked.

"Dreadful. You have to wear orange. Which is my least favorite color. You have to go through people's clothes and do their laundry. Showers are terrible. They're limited. I hated it. I despised it." I rambled.

The girls all burst into laughter.

"Hey!" I protested with a pout.

"Can you guys still graduate?" Spencer asked.

We nodded, Ali answered, "Yeah we just have to make up a month of work."

"Girls! Dinner!" My mom called.

We headed downstairs to see pizza boxes downstairs, and my mouth watered at the sight.

I dove into a piece of cheese pizza, and moaned. "It's so good."

Ali feasted on a pepperoni piece, "This is what I've been waiting for." She whispered.

Everyone else grabbed their pizza, but surprisingly, Ali and I were finished first.

My mom brought out a few boxes of mozzarella sticks, and I had a few.

We all were just smiling and enjoying our first dinner back together.

I poured everyone some Coke, and Ali whispered, "Just like old times."

I nodded.

The doorbell rang, and I called out, "I'll get it!"

Caleb stood at the door, and I quickly finished my half-eaten mozzarella stick, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I've missed you." I murmured.

"But I just saw you earlier." Caleb protested.

"Shhh.." I shut him up.

I turned around to the sound of pizza and my mom came downstairs.

"Hello Ashley." Caleb grinned.

From around his back, he pulled out two bouquets of flowers.

"One for you, and one for you." He said and handed us each a bouquet.

"Such a charmer Caleb." My mom remarked.

"Thank you." I added with a smile.

"Please Caleb, come in, help yourself to pizza, before the girls devour it." My mom insisted.

Caleb came inside, and shut the door behind him.

I hung up his coat in the closet, and lead him to the table.

"Hi Caleb!" Emily, Aria, and Spencer greeted.

"Hi girls. Alison." He replied.

Alison gave a small wave.

We all sat in silence, until the pizza boxes were finished.

I stood up to throw them away, but Caleb stopped me.

"I've got it princess." He assured me.

I tried to protest, but he had already grabbed the boxes from my arms.

Caleb went out the door, to put the boxes in the recycling bin.

"Princess?" Alison asked with a smirk.

"It's my nickname." I grinned.

I absolutely love it when Caleb calls me princess.

It sends a chill down my spine that doesn't happen with anything else.

Caleb returned, and I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

We all sat by a fire that Caleb started for the rest of the night, and it felt great to be back.

End of Flashback.

"Hanna? Hanna?" Ali asked.

"Hello?" She asked again.

I snapped back into reality, and she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great, you were saying?" I replied.

"Alright so the totals for this month, increased by 33% compared to last month." She started.

"Great!" I replied.

"Alright, so I think our work is done here, do you want to stay for a while or?" She asked.

"I'm good, thanks." I replied.

I scooped Bella off the couch, and told her, "It's time to go."

I showed myself out the door and headed back to my home.

I set Bella back down on the couch next to Caleb, and lay down in my bed.

I stood up, and looked around at my room.

I admired the picture of graduation, the girls and I; including Alison, were all holding our caps of where we were going to college.

Flashback

My alarm went off, signaling that it was time for graduation.

I put on my dress for the Spencer's graduation party later at the Hastings' household. Then, I grabbed my cap and gown, and headed downstairs. "Who's ready for graduation?" Ashley asked.

Ted came up behind her, and rested his hands on Ashley's shoulders.

"I'm ready." I nodded.

"We'll see you later, have a great day at school." Ted said.

I nodded, and headed out the door.

I hopped in my car, and drove to Aria's to pick her up.

"Hey Han!" Aria greeted.

"Guess who's graduating today?" I asked.

"Us!" Aria shouted.

She hopped into the passenger seat of my car, and we drove off to school.

Aria and I soon made up our own little song, and we sang "Free! Free at last.."

We headed inside for our last classes.

By the time 7th period came, Aria and I were restless.

There were 10 seconds left of class, and we interrupted our teacher at the time and counted off, "Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One!"

Everyone cheered, as the last bell rang.

Principal Hackett went on the intercom to say, "Wow. Today is the last day for our class of 2014. The day came very soon. I am so proud of what you have become and-"

I tuned out and was like "blah blah blah."

"May last names A-F please report to the outside designated area, again A-F." Principal Hackett announced.

I waved goodbye to Em and Ali, and awaited the next announcement, "last names G-L please report to the outside designated area."

Finally, last names M-Z were all called up, and everyone was in their designated seats.

Aria and I just so happened to be right next to each other, and we watched as Ali was called to the stage. "Yeah Ali!" We cheered.

"Emily Fields." Principal Hackett announced.

We stood up and shouted, "Yes Em!"

Em was asked to make a speech, so she did.

"Wow we're finally done high school!" She began, earning cheers from our class.

She held up her hand, and continued, "I'd like to thank all of my teachers, for pushing me this far. I'd like to thank my four best friends, who helped me survive. I'd like to thank my swim team, for always encouraging me. Thank you Coach Fulton, for making my swim future what it will be. Most of all, thank you to my parents for supporting me this whole time! Thank you all!"

Aria and I both applauded, as more students accepted their diplomas.

Spencer's turn came, and she was asked to make a speech. "Hello all. Thank you for making me who I am today. Thank you teachers, friends, and family. High school's a rollercoaster. It has thousands of up and downs. Right now, we have just finished the ride. We have exited our cart, and said goodbye to that fabulous and crazy ride. The loops, high points, fast downs, slower downs, and more. It all adds up to our rollercoaster of high school. Roller Coasters are great, but high school was truly something."

Spencer stepped off the stage, and it was my turn.

"Hanna Marin." Principal Hackett stated.

I headed up the stairs, grabbed my diploma, and did a small curtsey. I searched the crowd for Ted and Ashley, and found them.

I shook hands with Principal Hackett, and switched spots with Aria.

"Aria Montgomery." Principal Hackett said.

Aria stood up and held up her diploma with grace.

She waved to everyone and stepped down from the stairs.

More and more students went on and off the stage, including Caleb.

Finally, once the last student returned to his seat, Principal Hackett had finished.

"I proudly present you all, Rosewood High Class of 2014!" He shouted.

We all threw our caps in the air, and Aria and I hugged each other.

Ali, Emily, and Spencer all ran through the rows of people to find us, and we all exchanged a huge hug.

"We're free!" I yelled.

We caught our caps, and carried them in our hands.

We traveled as a pack to our parents, and I gave Ashley and Ted a huge hug.

I felt hands rested on my shoulders, and I spun around to Caleb.

"We're out baby." He told me.

I nodded, and threw my arms around his neck.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He nodded.

We turned around and I saw Ali talking to Jason, Spencer with her family, Aria talking to her mom and dad, and Emily was talking to her mom.

I felt so bad, Mr. Fields was still in Texas and can't be here to support Emily.

Our parents began talking, and I took the opportunity to talk to the girls and Caleb. Toby came over and gave Spencer a hug and flowers.

"So what-?" I started.

"Emmy!" Someone yelled. Emily spun around, and so did we.

Mr. Fields was running towards us, and Emily started to cry.

"Dad?" She sobbed.

Mr. Fields wrapped Emily in a hug and said, "I'm here Emmy."

"How?" She asked.

"I couldn't miss your graduation." He shrugged.

A huge smile formed on my face at the sight of their father daughter bond.

"We'll be back." I told the parents.

Wayne let go of Emily, and the 7 of us headed across the field.

"Aria?" Someone called.

We all spun around once again.

Ezra stood there with a bouquet of flowers.

"What are you doing here Ezra?" Aria asked.

I nudged Aria.

"Aria I-I can't let you go." He sighed.

"Ezra I already told you-" Aria began.

Ezra put his lips on Aria's and they began to make out.

"Well that solves that problem." Spencer whispered.

Ezra pulled away from Aria.

"Aria. I want you to live with me. Go to NYU. I found a perfect apartment where we can stay together. I want you to be in my life Aria. I can't live without you." He gasped.

Aria burst into tears, "I love you Ezra."

"I love you too." He replied.

Aria threw her arms around his neck, and whispered "Yes."

"You'll move in with me?" He asked.

She nodded.

Ezra spun her around and we all applauded.

The two lovebirds spun around and looked at us,

"Well hello to you too." Ezra said sarcastically.

"Congratulations." He added, gesturing to the ones who graduated.

I nodded my thanks, and linked my hand with Caleb's.

The girls and I walked over to Ezra, and Spencer told him, "If you break her heart again, we'll shred you to pieces. Okay?"

He nodded, "No need because that won't happen."

"Ezria together again!" I exclaimed.

Everyone tilted their heads.

"I'll explain later." I stated and waved it off.

"I'm assuming I'll see you all later at my grad party?" Spencer asked.

We all nodded, and Spencer walked off with Toby.

"I'll be with Caleb." I told the girls.

"See you later!" I added.

Spencer's Grad Party

I walked into the Hastings' household with my parents (Ashley+Ted) and Caleb.

My mom set down the cookies she'd made on the Hastings' kitchen counter, and Caleb and I ventured off to find the girls. We wound up heading to their large backyard, where there was a huge stage and backyard.

Spencer was wearing an elegant blue dress that suited her well.

"You look great Spence." I complimented her.

"Thank you." She smiled.

I walked around the party to find Aria, Emily, and Ali all dancing together. I broke up the trio and said "Hello ladies!"

"Hey Han!" They greeted.

"Spence seemed a little out of it." I commented.

"She's just nervous because people of high status at UPenn are here." Emily told me and waved it off.

I nodded, "The Hastings and their schoolwork."

Toby and Ezra were DJing the party, and Caleb squeezed my hand, letting me know he was going to join them.

I started to dance with the girls as we threw our hands up in the air, and brought them down low. It was a movement that we had created, our hands would go up, and then meet in the middle.

I didn't know if it was just me or what, but Em and Ali had been looking at each other all night long.

Em was actually wearing makeup for once, and Ali was wearing a gorgeous strapless pink dress, with rhinestones across the top. Em had on a navy blue, long, flowy dress, and the two had admired their dresses all night. Aria had on a black and white dress, that fitted her body perfectly. As for me, my baby pink dress that was ombre at the bottom just fit perfectly.

We continued to dance, and Aria whispered in my ear, "Are Ali and Em a thing?"

I whispered back, "I don't know, but I was just thinking the same thing!"

Aria and I shrugged, and continued to dance.

We were interrupted by a voice on the microphone, "Excuse me!" Spencer yelled.

We all turned around to face the stage.

"Thank you." Mrs. Hastings said as the mic was switched into her hands.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. Dinner is now served, so please sit down at a table that has your name on it. Thank you. We'll call different tables to go get their food, so it isn't too complicated." Veronica explained.

The girls and I browsed different tables, and Ali called "Found it!"

Our names, Emily, Alison, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Caleb, Ezra, and Toby were all on the placard at the center of the table. I sat down in between Aria and Caleb, and focused my attention towards the stage. I waited until our table was called to go get food.

"Table 17." Spencer called.

We stood up and headed inside. There was meatloaf, pizza, lasagna, chicken wings, and so much more. I wound up getting perogies, some lasagna, a few wings, and a slice of pizza. I headed back to the table where Caleb, Ezra, Toby, Alison, and Aria sat. We were just waiting on Spencer and Em. I feasted on my food, and immediately recognized the lasagna as Pam's.

"Guys! This is Mrs. Fields' lasagna!" I exclaimed.

"We know Han. It said so on the placard." Caleb pointed out,

"Oh." I sighed.

I looked around at everyone one last time, and continued to eat my lasagna. Spencer and Ali sat down at the table where there were empty seats.

"Hey guys! I hope everything's good!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Hey! Everything's amazing, especially Mrs. Fields' lasagna." I returned.

Spencer smiled and dug into her food as well.

"So Spence, have you run into anyone from UPenn?" Toby asked.

"My English teacher, she had Melissa and absolutely adored her." Spencer replied with an eyeroll.

"I mean that's all she could talk about!" Spencer added.

She continued to ramble, "Melissa's so great! She was a fabulous student! Her essays were off the charts. I hope you meet her standards Spencer." Spencer mimicked.

I laughed at her impersonation, based on it, I could tell that she was an old lady.

"Sorry Spence." Em stated with a pout and squeezed Spencer's hand.

"It's alright. I mean Melissa went to UPenn, I'm expecting to hear about her, just hopefully not all the time!" Spencer exclaimed.

"We're gonna be apart for college." Aria whispered with a sigh.

"Hey Ar, it's alright! Spence'll be at UPenn, I'll be at the New York Fashion Institute, Caleb'll be at NYU with you! Em and Ali'll be at Princeton and Ezra and Toby will always be around. We'll see each other frequently." I assured her.

She nodded, "I'm gonna miss you guys.

"We'll miss you too!" Spence exclaimed.

"Trust me, we'll be together again soon. We have all summer too." Ali reassured us.

End of Flashback

I moved on to the next picture. Caleb's arms were wrapped around my waist and I realized it was my senior prom picture.

Flashback

The girls and I were at the Rosewood Mall, looking for prom dresses. None of us had been successful so far in finding a dress. When we walked into our fifth store, I was flat out bored. "Can we go home?" I groaned.

"Come on Han at least let us check out this store." Aria begged.

I rolled my eyes, "Fine."

We browsed around at the dresses, and I saw the perfect one. It was blue, with rhinestones along the sides, and nice and flowy. Better yet, it was my size. I headed into the dressing room, and tried it on. It hugged my figure perfectly, and looked gorgeous.

"This is the one." I whispered.

"Han? Are you in there?" Aria called.

I opened the dressing room door and showed the girls the dress, "It's perfect!" Emily exclaimed.

I grinned, "Isn't it?"

The girls nodded, and I added, "I'm gonna check out."

I headed to the register, and bought the dress.

I headed back to the dressing rooms, where all of the girls were trying on dresses.

Each had found their perfect dresses, and we went home to show our parents.

End of Flashback

"Are you okay princess?" Caleb asked and I spun around.

"Just thinking of the old times." I said with a shrug.

"Ahhh.. prom." He realized, and he walked over to the picture I was staring at.

"It was a gorgeous dress." He pointed out.

I nodded, "It was."

Flashback

I walked into the place where prom will occur, and turned around. Caleb linked his arm with mine, and we headed inside. Aria was by herself, Emily and Alison were dancing, and Spoby were dancing.

Caleb and I began to dance and I looked over to see Aria by herself in the corner.

"Gorgeous dress Hanna!' Someone exclaimed.

I turned around and said thank you, though I had no idea who the person was.

I wrapped my arms around Caleb's neck, and he put his arms around my waist.

We swayed to the slow song, and my eyes met his.

"I love you." He told me.

"I love you too." I replied.

We looked over to see Aria standing with a polaroid camera.

She was shaking an image, and then a picture began to form.

She placed it in my hands, and Caleb looked over.

The picture was perfect. Aria got it at the perfect time when Caleb and I were grinning and looking at each other.

The picture brought tears to my eyes.

I soon began to cry.

"What's wrong babe?" He asked.

"Nothing Caleb, it's just- the picture is perfect!" I exclaimed.

His thumb caught the tears on my face, and he stated, "I know princess, we're perfect together."

"We are." I agreed.

I slipped the polaroid into my purse, and Caleb and I continued to dance.

Spencer and Toby came over, and danced beside us.

"We have such great girls Caleb." Toby told him.

"I know." He grinned.

A few more tears trickled down my face at those words, and he caught them again.

"Don't cry princess." He whispered.

"It's okay." He added.

I wiped a few tears away, and I resumed dancing with my arms around his neck.

"Prom pictures! Come get your prom pictures!" Aria exclaimed.

We headed over, the first people in line, in front of the backdrop.

Aria positioned the camera, and counted "One, Two, Three, Smile!"

Caleb and I wrapped our arms across each other for the next one.

We laughed for the next picture, and smiled again for the next.

"You two are too cute!" Aria exclaimed.

We stepped out of the way so Spencer and Toby could get their pictures.

Once Spencer and Toby finished, Aria beckoned the four of us to go in front of the backdrop. We all took a picture together, and then Aria thanked us.

I went back to dance with Caleb, and Aria gathered the girls and I.

Caleb took a picture of us 5 girls in front of the backdrop, and we headed towards the stage where prom king and queen would be announced.

Principal Hackett cleared his throat, "Hello everyone! It's time to announce prom king and queen!"

"Our prom queen is…" He started.

"Hanna Marin!" He exclaimed.

I headed up the stairs to receive my crown and grinned, "Thank you!" I finished.

"Our prom king is…" He began.

"Caleb Rivers!" He finished.

"Give it up for the prom king and queen!" Principal Hackett yelled.

Everyone applauded, and they gave us space for the traditional queen and king dance.

I wrapped my arms around Caleb, and we danced in the spotlight.

End of Flashback

That moment was one of my favorites, and I'm so glad the pictures are on my wall.

"That was a great moment." I added.

Caleb nodded, we moved on to the next picture, my ring.

Caleb and I were on our way to the beach, our date night.

We pulled into the beach's parking lot and headed to the beach.

There was no one else on the beach.

There were two chairs in the middle of the sand.

Rose petals surrounded the chairs, and I put my hand to the mouth.

Caleb took my hand, and led me to the chair.

He ripped off his clothes to reveal a tux, and I took off my cover up to reveal my dress.

"Oh my god." I sobbed.

Caleb pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, and got down on one knee.

"Hanna Marin." He began.

I put my face in my hands, I couldn't believe it.

He took my hands off of my face, and set them in my lap.

He finished, "Hanna Marin. I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want us to live together, and have beautiful children. When I first layed my eyes on you, I thought, 'wow that girl is so beautiful' how will I ever work up the courage to talk to her? Well, I wound up staying at your place, coincidence? In that period of time, I fell in love with you Hanna Marin. Leaving you was the worst mistake I could've ever made. I am so glad that I came back, and fixed everything. I'm so glad that you still love me too. I'm so glad that we got to spend our college years together, and go to parties. Hanna, you put a smile on my face every single day. You make my day so much better. Without you, half of my heart would be missing, I would be lost. You're the most beautiful girl in the world Hanna Marin. You flip the world upside down to a better place. You make everything better. I love you so much, Hanna, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

I sobbed into his chest, and he spun me around with a grin.

He wiped my tears away, and pulled out his phone.

Spencer had facetimed him, and he answered the call.

All of the girls, Ezra, and Toby were on the other line.

"Hey!" They greeted.

I waved back.

"Hi guys." Caleb replied.

"You all knew?" I asked.

They nodded.

I couldn't help but grin.

"Congratulations Han!" The girls chorused.

I began to cry some more, and Caleb laughed.

"We'll leave you to enjoy your special night." Spencer said.

"Alright." I replied and she hung up.

Caleb held me for what felt like together, and I couldn't wait to be Mrs. Rivers.

End of Flashback.

I moved onto the next picture, our wedding.

Flashback

"I'm so nervous!" I groaned.

"You'll be fine!" Spencer told me with a nudge.

My hands roamed through my hair, and I fixated my dress.

"What if something goes wrong? What if-" I rambled.

Aria came over and gave me a hug, "It's gonna be okay Han." She assured me.

I was getting married in nearly 5 minutes.

"Well, I've gotta go kick things off, good luck." Em told me.

Em was my maid of honor, so she headed outside to greet everyone.

The others squeezed my hand, and followed Em out.

The door opened and I spun around.

Ted came into the room, and stated, "Wow, you look beautiful."

"Thank you Ted. Thanks for doing this." I told him.

He nodded.

Ted took my hand, and led me down the aisle.

I looked around at all of the people in pews, and smiled.

Caleb was at the end, looking handsome as ever.

All of the girls stood off to the side, and the men stood on the other side.

Ted squeezed my hand, and took a seat next to Ashley.

The minister said a bunch of stuff that I already knew, and finally he asked us for the "I do's."

"Do you Caleb Rivers take Hanna to be your beloved wife, to cherish, and love until she dies?" He asked.

"I do." Caleb nodded.

He asked me the same, except vise versa.

"I do." I replied.

He gave another statement, and I only heard the last part, "-you may now kiss the bride."

Caleb leaned in, and we exchanged a kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and everyone applauded.

End of Flashback.

I moved onto another picture, one of Bella at her first birthday.

Flashback

The girls and I all had our one year old children in play pens, and were making food.

Em pulled out pans of cake from the oven, we were making two cakes. One for the girls, and one for the boys.

Aria and Spencer took care of the boy's cake, and Ali and I took care of the girl's cake.

I put a few drops of red food coloring into the icing, and mixed it until it was the desired color. I began to frost one of the cakes, and Ali frosted the other. We put one on top of the other, and I put sprinkles on the top with two big "One" Candles. I looked over at Spencer's and Aria's, which was the exact same just with blue.

Our kids were all born within the same week, so we did their first birthday party together.

We just invited family over Emily's house, instead of more people. The kids were only one, and would get really tired in front of tons of people. While we put the finishing touches on the cake, Emily was making the food. She had chicken parmesan, and fettucini alfredo. Pam was bringing lasagna, so we were aiming for the Italian theme. Once the cakes were done, the girls and I moved onto balloons. We all sat down on Em's couch, and began to blow up balloons. Once I was finished, I scattered balloons throughout the house. I put them in corners, tied to the staircase, in different rooms, etc.

Emily and Ali carried a banner that read "Happy Birthday Bella, John, Sarah, and Mikey!"

They each stood on a chair, and taped it on the living room wall.

Bella started to cry, and I went over to comfort her.

Meanwhile, while Spencer was still working on the cake, Mikey escaped from the playpen. He began to walk around the house, and I scooped him up.

"Mikey?" Spencer asked, looking up from the cake.

"He got out." I told her.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed.

Spencer left Aria to finish the cake, and took Mikey from me.

"It's alright baby." She told him, and placed him back in the playpen.

'I can't believe their one!" Aria exclaimed.

"I know! It's crazy!" I agreed.

I scooped up Bella, and took her into the guestroom. I headed upstairs, and changed her into her onesie. It had cute little cats all over. The others did the same, and we carried our kids downstairs.

The doorbell rang, and the guys ventured in, followed by the parents.

Pam passed her lasagna to Em, and all of the grandmoms looked at the kids with wide eyes.

"Look how adorable!" She exclaimed at Ali, who was holding Sarah. Ali passed Sarah to Pam, and she went crazy for her. Ashley greeted Bella with a smile, who hopped out of my arms and began to follow Ashley and Ted around. I looked at Caleb and shrugged.

Em brought out the food, and saved the cakes for later.

First, everyone feasted on the food.

I dug into my lasagna, fettuccini, and chicken.

Honestly, I felt like I was at Olive Garden.

Pam seriously makes the best lasagna, and it makes my mouth water every time.,

"It's like Olive Garden!" I exclaimed.

Everyone laughed.

"It's true though!" I protested.

"There's the fabulous lasagna, chicken parm, fettuccini alfredo.." I rambled.

"It kind of is, isn't it?" Em agreed with a smile.

The little ones had already had their food, and it was time for us to have ours.

"Pam this lasagna is amazing!" Ali gushed.

"Nonsense!" Pam exclaimed.

"You'll have to give me the recipe!" Ella exclaimed.

"It's a family secret." Pam told Ella with a wink.

For the next hour, we discussed the kids, and it was finally time for cake.

Em and Ali brought out the two cakes, and we sang to John and Mikey first.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear John and Mikey! Happy Birthday to you!" We chorused.

"Make a wish." Ezra joked.

Aria gave him a light smack, and Aria and Spencer blew out the candles.

Next, it was time for Bella and Sarah.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Bella and Sarah.. Happy Birthday to you!" We chorused.

Em, Ali, and I blew out the candles.

Em began to sing, "How old are you now?"

Ali cut her off though.

Em and Ali each cut one of the cakes, and put them onto plates.

We each headed to our child's high chairs, and put the fork down in front of them.

"Oh god!" Spencer exclaimed.

I spun around to see Mikey grabbing fistfuls of the cake.

We all burst into laughter at the sight, and I think he encouraged the other kids to do the same.

Soon enough, Bella was doing the same, so I took a picture.

I sat back down and started to eat my own cake.

It was pretty good.

"It's pretty good." I told everyone.

We all continued to eat the cake, and Em grabbed the paper plates from each of the kids, and threw them away.

I took Bella to the bathroom, to wash off her hands, and make sure there wasn't cake anywhere else. I told Caleb, "She's good."

Mikey and John however, both had cake in their hair.

End of Flashback

A SOS text from Aria interrupted my thoughts.

"Time to go to Aria's." I told Caleb.

He waved goodbye, and I walked across the street.

I rang the doorbell, and Aria opened it.

"Hey Ar!" I greeted her.

"Hey." She replied.

"Why did you call me over?" I asked.

I looked over at the couch, and saw Mona.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: You guys asked for more flashbacks from the girls, so flashbacks is what you'll get! I'll start the chapter off with explaining the cliffhanger, and move onto the flashbacks!

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

A SOS text from Aria interrupted my thoughts.

"Time to go to Aria's." I told Caleb.

He waved goodbye, and I walked across the street.

I rang the doorbell, and Aria opened it.

"Hey Ar!" I greeted her.

"Hey." She replied.

"Why did you call me over?" I asked.

I looked over at the couch, and saw Mona.

Ch 10: Aria's Flashbacks

Hanna POV

"What the hell are you doing here Mona?" I sneered, my hand still on the doorknob.

"Hello Hanna." She replied.

"What the hell are you doing here Mona?" I repeated.

She shrugged.

Spencer, Emily, and Ali came up behind me.

"Mona?" Spencer asked.

"You're supposed to be at Radley." Ali added.

"Did they release you?" Em asked.

"Come in." Aria told us.

We hesitantly walked in and I shut the door behind me.

I sat down on the couch across from the one Mona sat in.

"What are you doing here?" Ali bellowed.

"I wanted to see you." Mona responded.

Ezra came downstairs, "What's going on?"

"Get out of my house!" He yelled at Mona.

"When did she come here?" Em asked Aria.

"She rang my doorbell, charged into the house, and sat down on the couch.

Mona still remained on the couch.

"Get out!" Ezra yelled.

Mona stood up from the couch, and Aria opened the door.

Mona walked out, and Aria shut the door behind her.

"So that happened." Spencer stated.

We nodded.

"What now?" I asked.

Everyone shrugged in response.

Aria POV:

"Well, I've gotta go grade papers." Em told me.

I nodded as all four of the girls headed out the door.

I went into my bedroom to relax, and have some alone time.

I helped the girls each decorate their homes, and one of the ideas I came up with, was a photowall for our master bedrooms. Right across from my bed, I have my photowall. Whenever I'm stressed, or confused, or bored, I just look at my photowall. There were tons of memories on it, proms, my wedding, the proposal, John's first birthday, when John was born, my birthdays, vacations, pictures from when the girls and I were younger, etc! I just stood in front of the photowall, and the picture of my wedding stood out to me.

Flashback

I stood in my wedding venue's makeshift dressing room, and stared in the mirror. My dress flowed down to the floor, and had gorgeous lace. The girls stood behind me, putting on the finishing touches.

"You look gorgeous Aria." Spencer told me.

I nodded, and replied, "Thank you."

"Alright, remember to walk through this door right here, which will lead you to Ezra, and everyone else." Emily told me.

"I'll walk through this door right here." I echoed.

"Got it." I added.

"Byron will be in here soon." Spencer told me.

'We've gotta go start things, alright?" Spencer asked.

I nodded, and the girls squeezed my hand.

Out of the 5 of us, I'll be the second one to get married. Spencer got married last year, and Hanna is currently engaged. I was so nervous, what if something went wrong or.. my train of thought was suddenly caught off.

"Aria?" Byron asked.

I turned around to see my father in his tux, standing in front of the door.

"It's time." He told me.

I took a deep breath.

"Hey, you look beautiful, okay?" He assured me.

I was so nervous, and certain that this wedding would be a blur.

Byron took my hand, and I opened the door.

Music began to play, and Byron and I moved down the aisle.

Around me, people just stared.

This 100% didn't help with the pressure, but I'm sure everyone was just excited to see how beautiful I look.

I looked around to see Ashley, Ted , Pam, Wayne, my mom, and Veronica; some of my supporters all in the front row. I smiled at them, and Pam mouthed 'you look beautiful.'

I couldn't help but grin, as I proceeded down the aisle.

There he was, Ezra Fitz, standing at the end of this area.

To the left were my best friends, and to the right, Caleb, Toby, and Wes.

There would've been an additional groomsmen, but Mike's.. gone.

The thought made me cringe.

I finally got up to the top, near Ezra, and Byron shook his hand.

My dad had really come around over the past years, and treated Ezra right.

My dad took his seat next to my mom, and I stood across from Ezra.

'You look gorgeous' He mouthed.

The comment just made me grin even more.

The minister began to speak, "We're gathered here today, to celebrate the joining of two people, Ezra Fitz &amp; Aria Montgomery."

The minister continued to speak, but the words were all a blur until Ezra said 'I do.'

I snapped back into reality, and waited for the minister to ask me my line.

"Do you take this man, Ezra Fitz, to be your beloved husband, whom you will spend the rest of your life with?"

"I do." I told him.

"Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you, husband and wife. Ezra, you may kiss the bride." He told us.

Ezra leaned in for a kiss, and we were undeniably happy.

Ezra slipped my ring onto my finger, and I slipped his onto his finger.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too." He replied.

We linked hands, and went back inside to celebrate.

Everyone around us applauded, and my grin continued to grow.

"You and me." Ezra told me.

"You and me." I repeated.

Ezra and I sat down at the table designated for the bridesmaids, and groomsmen, along with the bride and groom. The bride parents and the groom's parents were designated to sit at the table as well. Once everyone, including other family and friends were sitting, Spencer stood up to make a toast.

"I'd like to make a toast." Spencer began, holding up her glass.

"I'm so happy to see these two today. From the moment I met Ezra, I've gotta say, I didn't expect him to be with my best friend. Ezra was our English teacher in high school, and well I just admired him and respected him as my teacher. When Aria told me that her and Ezra were together, I was shocked. This was many years ago however. After Toby and I went on dates with these two, I knew that they were soulmates. The way Ezra looks at Aria is like no other man looks at her. You can tell in his eyes, that he loves her, and would do anything to protect her. The way that Aria talks about Ezra all of the time, and the way she looks at him, you can tell these two are soulmates and lovebirds. I am so happy that these two get to spend their lives together, and share every laugh, tear, and smile. Ezra, if you ever hurt Aria, I'll break you." She announced, and paused for everyone to laugh. Soon enough, the laughter came on.

Tears formed in my eyes at the kind words Spencer said.

She continued, "In conclusion, I am so happy for the two of you, and may you have a great life together! To Ezra and Aria!"

"To Ezra and Aria!" Everyone echoed.

I wrapped Spencer in a hug once she had finished the speech, and after everyone took a sip of their drinks.

"Thank you Spence." I told her.

"Your welcome. I love you and I'm so happy for you." She replied.

I noticed that tears started to form in Spencer's eyes, so I wiped them away.

"Hey? I'm gonna be fine okay, I'm just married. No big deal. Now go ahead, and hang out with Toby." I told her.

"I don't want to lose you!" She exclaimed.

"Spencer, you'll never lose me. I promise that we'll be together forever." I told her.

I lead Spencer back to her seat, and Ezra and I headed around the grand room to thank everyone for coming. I went over to where my aunts, uncles, and cousins were.

"Thank you so much for coming!" I exclaimed.

"It means so much." Ezra added.

"I'm so happy for you!" My grandma exclaimed.

I turned around to see my grandma with my aunt in her wheelchair.

I bent down and gave her a hug, "I love you grandma."

"I love you too my sweet Aria." She nodded.

"May I have a word alone with Ezra?" She asked me, and I nodded.

I left Ezra to talk to my grandmother, and waited for him at the top.

He came back shortly, as my grandmother wheeled away to my other family members.

"What did she tell you?" I asked him.

"That stays between grandma and I." He replied.

I shrugged, and we moved onto Ezra's family.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed once again.

Ezra's aunt- I think- came over and gave me a hug.

"You're so beautiful Aria!" She beamed.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed.

"I'm so happy you married Ezra here, he's quite a handful." She told me.

She gave Ezra a light nudge and he chuckled.

"Thanks Aunt Marge." He told her.

"You'll have to come visit our beach house in Florida, you'll love it there!" She insisted.

"Thank you, we sure will!" I replied.

Ezra's cousins came over to me as well.

"Hey Aria!" Matt greeted.

"Hey Matt." I replied.

"I just wanted to say congratulations." He told me.

"Thank you." I replied.

"I'm happy for you Ez." He told him.

"Thanks man, I've just officially married the girl of my dreams, so I'm pretty happy myself." He told Matt.

I nudged him and blushed, "Oh stop you're gonna make me cry!"

"Sorry babe." He chuckled.

"No but he's seriously too sweet." I told Matt.

I waved goodbye to Matt, and headed back over to the table I was previously at.

Dianne came over to me, and gave me a hug.

"Sweet Aria." She cooed.

"Hi Dianne." I greeted.

"I'm so happy that my son is finally married!" She exclaimed.

"I'm also happy that he's married to you." She added.

"Thank you Dianne, it really means a lot." I told her.

"Here, I want you to have this." She told me and passed me a diamond necklace from around her neck.

"I can't accept this it's-" I began.

She cutt me off with the wave of her hand, "Nonsense. It runs in the family! It was passed down from my mother, and her mother, and her mother, well you get the point."

"I seriously can't-" I started.

She demanded, "Aria keep it. You're like the daughter I never had, I insist."

She put the necklace into my palm, and Ezra took it off of my hand, and told me, "Hold your hair up."

I did as I was told, and Ezra put the necklace on.

I admired the diamond, as I placed it in between my fingers.

"Thank you." I told Dianne.

She nodded, and I headed over to my parents.

I ran towards Ella, and gave her a huge hug.

Tears were streaming down her face.

"I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed.

"Oh mom!" I protested.

Tears were soon streaming down my face as well, and Aria caught them.

"Baby girl, I'm so happy." She added.

Ella looked down at the diamond necklace and gasped.

"Is that from Dianne?" She asked.

I nodded, "I told her I couldn't accept it, but she insisted."

"That's awfully generous." Ella agreed.

She looked up at Ezra, and told him, "Take care of her."

Ella went off to talk to Dianne, while Pam, Veronica, and Ashley approached me.

I wrapped my arms around the women who were like my second mothers.

"We love you Aria and we're so proud of you!" Pam exclaimed.

"You look gorgeous." Ashley added.

"You did good Aria." Veronica told me with a squeeze.

"Thank you ladies." I told them.

They nodded, and went off to find Ella.

Byron came over to us, and engaged in a conversation with Ezra.

I took the moment to slip away, and find the girls.

The four girls were chatting it up at the table, and immediately stood up.

They wrapped their arms around me, and Ali cooed, "You look stunning."

"We love you Aria." They chorused.

"I love you guys too." I told them.

The chef that Ezra and I had hired; Talia found me.

"Hey Aria, the food's ready, do you want to start sending people in?" She asked.

I nodded, and Talia headed back towards the kitchen.

I found Ezra, and beckoned him to the stage.

I grabbed the mic, and got everyone's attention, "Excuse me everyone, may I have your attention? The food is ready, and I'd like to call up the first table to go get their food please." I called.

I watched the first table head off for their food, and once they returned, I called the other tables.

Ezra and I sat back down to see that someone already got our food for us.

I dug into the food, and looked at Ezra the whole time.

A voice interrupted me while I was eating.

"Excuse me." They said.

I turned around to see the team of photographers on the stage.

"May we have the bride, groom, and everyone who was in the wedding (the bridesmaids and groomsmen outside for photos please?"

I stood up, along with everyone else from my table, as we headed outside for pictures.

They had asked for pictures of Ezra and I first.

Ezra and I smiled for one, had a serious one, one of us kissing, one where our arms were wrapped around each other, and more for the next thirty minutes. Next we were asked to have a picture of Ezra and I with the bridesmaids, and we took several shots. After that, we got more of just me and the bridesmaids. Including one where the girls were surrounding me, admiring my ring. The same thing went for the groomsmen. In one of the photos with the groomsmen, Ezra, and the guys held me up bridal style.

Once the photos were done, we headed back inside, so I could toss the bouquet.

I stood on the stage, as all of the ladies gathered around behind me. I faced the wall, took a deep breath, and threw the bouquet over my head.

I spun around to see that one of Ezra's cousins had caught it, and then I sat down so that Ezra could take the garter off of me. Once it was off, Ezra did the same, and stood on the stage, throwing the garter. Wes had caught the garter, and we all cheered.

Talia brought out the wedding cake, and her and a team of chefs served it. I fed Ezra some of the cake, and he fed me some in return. I looked around at all of the ones I loved, and there was no doubt,that that was the best day of my life.

End of Flashback

I moved onto the next picture. The picture was of Byron and I together, he was lying in a hospital bed, and I was crying. This was my least favorite picture on this wall, but the last picture I took with my dad. I found out some terrible news from Byron once I got back from my honeymoon.

Flashback

I lay down on my bed in my apartment, and my phone rang.

I grabbed my phone, and saw that my dad was calling, I tilted my head to the side, and answered the phone.

"Hey Dad!" I exclaimed.

"A-A-Ar-Aria, can you come over?" My dad sobbed.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Can you just come over?" He asked.

"I'm on my way." I told him and hung up.

I raced downstairs, and saw Ezra on the couch.

"I've gotta go- something's wrong with my dad." I told him.

Ezra nodded, and I raced into the apartment garage.

I sped to my dad's house, and knocked on the door.

My dad opened the door, wiping his eyes, and he led me to his couch.

"What's wrong dad?" I demanded.

"Aria, darling, I have brain cancer." He told me.

"What?" I sobbed.

He nodded, "They found a tumor, it's really big. I'm only gonna live a month at the most."

"But this is a mistake! You were found the other week! Your so young- you can't have cancer." I protested.

"I do though." He told me.

"Dad this is crazy!" I sobbed.

"Aria I have cancer." He stated.

"This can't be happening." I sobbed.

"Daddy!" I cried.

I leaned my head into his chest, and he held me there for a while.

The Day of Byron Montgomery's Death

I lounged on my couch, texting the girls, and my phone went off.

I answered the phone with a, "Hello?"

"Are you Aria Montgomery?" The person on the other line asked.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Is your father Byron Montgomery?" The line asked.

"Yes. Who is this?" I snapped.

"This is the hospital that your father resides in, I'm afraid your father will die today." They told me.

"I'm on my way." I told them, and ran out the door.

I sped to the hospital, and demanded at the front desk, "I'm Aria Montgomery. I'm here for my dad."

The woman gave me a visitor sticker and told me that he was on floor D, room 206.

I went up the stairs, and raced to the room.

I found my dad surrounded by doctors, hooked up to a ton of machines.

"Ma'am you can't be in here." A nurse said.

"That's my dad!" I yelled.

A man spun around, and led me outside of the room.

"Hi I'm Dr. Ramirez, I'm your father's doctor." He introduced.

"Hi, what's wrong with my dad?" I asked.

"His cancer's bad, really bad. We've been trying everything we can, I'm afraid that your dad'll die today." He told me.

"We have to take him off of his treatment, we can't save his life." He added.

My whole world crashed down in that very moment.

"Can I see him? Is he awake?" I asked.

"Barely, he's weak, but you can." The doctor replied.

The nurses and doctors exited the room, and I headed inside.

I leaned over Byron's bed, and said "Hi daddy."

Tears began to run down my face.

"Hi Aria." He whispered.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He replied.

"Tell E-E-zra that I said- take care of her." He said.

"I will Daddy, I will." I sobbed.

"Goodbye dad." I sobbed.

"Bye Aria." He said.

All of the sudden, a bunch of machines began to go off, and the signature "beep, beep, beep" noise began to go off, signaling that he was gone.

The doctors and nurses rushed in as I dropped to the ground.

"I'm sorry Miss Montgomery." The doctor told me.

He gave me his hand, and I sat down on the bench outside of the room.

I pulled out my phone, and shakily dialed Ezra's number.

"Hello? Aria?" Ezra asked.

"He-He-He's gone Ezra." I sobbed.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"The hospital." I replied.

"I'm on my way." He told me.

The phone hung up, and I sat there on the bunch, my face in my hands.

About half an hour later, Ezra found me on the bench.

"He died Ezra. He's gone." I said.

"God." He replied and began to cry.

"What were his last words?" Ezra asked.

"Bye Aria." I replied.

"I told him goodbye." I added.

Ezra squeezed my hand.

"He-He told me to tell you- to take care of me." I told Ezra.

He nodded.

Ezra took my hand, and we took the elevator back to the main level.

"I'll take you home, we'll pick up your car tomorrow." Ezra told me.

He scooped me up, and placed me into the passenger seat of his car, and drove us back home.

End of Flashback.

Tears began to stream down my face at the memory, and I grabbed my tissue to wipe them away.

There was a soft knock on the door.

I advanced towards the door, wiping my tears away.

"What's wrong Mama?" John asked.

"Nothing baby, I just miss grandpa." I told him.

Jonathan never got to meet his grandfather, and never will.

"Don't be sad Mama." He told me.

Jonathan grabbed my legs, and I scooped him into my arms.

I sat down on the floor with Jonathan, and he pointed to a picture of him when he was an infant, when he was first born.

Flashback

I sat down on my hospital bed, and held baby Jonathan in my arms.

"What are you going to name him?" The nurse asked.

"Jonathan." I told her.

"Jonathan Byron Fitz." I finished.

"That's an adorable name!" She exclaimed.

"Thank you." Ezra nodded.

I looked down at Jonathan's beautiful face, and sighed.

The nurse headed outside, leaving Ezra and I alone.

Spencer wobbled inside of the room with Toby.

"What the hell Spence?" I asked.

"You're supposed to be in bed." I scolded.

"I snuck out." Spencer said with a 'shh' gesture.

They walked over to see baby Jonathan, and I let Spencer hold him.

"Who has Michael?" Ezra asked.

"Mikey actually." Spencer corrected.

"Veronica does." Toby answered for her.

Ezra nodded, and Spencer cooed over Jonathan.

"Jonathan Byron Fitz right?" Spencer asked, passing Jonathan back to me.

I nodded and held Jonathan.

"I've gotta get Spence back." Toby said and they left.

My phone went off, and Ezra answered it for me.

"Hello!" Ezra said and waved.

It must've been some sort of FaceTime call.

He flipped the camera and mouthed 'wave'.

I waved.

"Hey!" Alison and Hanna exclaimed.

"Hey guys!" I replied.

Alison and Hanna were both due any day now, and were on bedrest.

"We just wanted to see baby Jonathan." Ali explained.

Ezra took Jonathan and gave them a good look at him.

"He's so precious." Hanna cooed.

We nodded.

"Well, I've gotta go before Em kills me, Pam's coming over today, and Em is on her way to the hospital now. Bye!" Ali waved.

Ezra hung up the phone, and we just sat there staring at our beautiful Jonathan.

End of Flashback

I moved onto the next picture, vacation with the girls. We all went to Key West for a week together, and it was a blast. We went in our sophomore year of college, at our summer break.

Flashback

"Now boarding Flight 106 to Key West now boarding!" A woman announced.

"First class passengers first please." She announced.

I watched as the first class was called, military, special needs, etc until we were finally called. I looked around at Ezra, Spencer, Toby, Hanna, Caleb, Emily, and Alison, and we boarded the plane. I sat down in a window seat next to Ezra. A man sat down on the other side of Ezra, and looked strangely familiar.

"Hardy?" I asked.

He spun around and looked at Ezra and I.

"Ezra! Aria!" He exclaimed.

Hardy gave Ezra a hug, and Ezra looked just about as surprised as I was to see him.

Spencer and Toby leaned over the seats from behind us.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Guys, this is Hardy." Ezra introduced.

"Nice to meet you." They chorused, and Toby shook Hardy's hand.

"Aria and I are on to our way to Key West with our best friends." Ezra explained.

"Ezra everyone on this flight is on their way to Key West honey." I pointed out.

Before we knew it, the plane took off and we talked to Hardy the whole time.

"So are you two married?" Hardy asked.

"No." I said.

"Not yet." Ezra added.

"We will be though." I agreed.

"We're a couple." Ezra finished.

"That's great!" Hardy exclaimed.

"Thank you." I nodded.

"So why are you on your way to Key West?" Hardy asked.

"Vacation." Ezra and I chorused.

"That's great." Hardy said with a nod.

"Thanks, how about you?" I asked, keeping the conversation flowing.

"My wife and I are going for a vacation as well." Hardy replied, gesturing to the woman sitting next to Spencer and Toby.

"Aw if you would've told us earlier- we could've switched seats!" Ezra pointed out.

"It's alright, I get to catch up with you guys." Hardy insisted.

"Where are you going to college Aria?" He asked.

"NYU." I replied.

"Ah, a great college." He replied.

"What are you majoring in?" He added.

"English, like Ezra." I replied.

"Following your boyfriend's footsteps." He remarked.

I nodded, and left Ezra and Hardy to talk for a little while.

I put in my earbuds, and listened to some music.

Ezra laced his fingers with mine, and I smiled.

I'm pretty sure I slept the rest of the flight, because Ezra nudged me when we were landing.

"What?" I asked groggily.

"You slept the whole time sweetheart." Ezra said.

"Oh." I pouted.

'It's alright, we're 20 minutes away." Ezra told me.

I sat up, and noticed that my phone and earbuds were already undone, and back in my purse.

I turned back towards Ezra, and he nodded.

"Thank you." I told him.

"Ah the young one has awoken." Toby murmured.

I looked through the crack between the wall and seat, and found Spencer.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Spencer joked.

"Very funny." I muttered with an eyeroll.

The plane quickly descended and we went down the runway.

"Welcome to Keywest!" The pilot announced.

We all cheered.

"I hope you have enjoyed your flight. We are 30 minutes early, which is no problem because our terminal is open. I look forward to seeing you on your flight back to Philadelphia International Airport, enjoy your stay." He added.

I grinned.

The plane took a safe stop, and Hardy stepped out into the aisle, and passed us our things.

"Thank you." I told him.

"I'll see you around." He replied.

I waited until the three of us could get into the aisle, and I got in there.

I smiled at the flight attendants and we headed off of the plane.

Once we were inside of the airport, Ezra and I pulled over and waited for the six others.

"Where do we go now?" Hanna groaned.

We looked up at the sign, and one said 'buses' with an arrow going north.

I pointed up at the sign, and told everyone "This way! We have to catch a bus!"

We ran towards the north direction, following the way to where we would get our information about the bus.

Hanna was walking so slow, that Caleb had to drag her the whole way.

"Come on Hanna!" Spencer yelled.

We reached the Bus Information desk and I blurted, "We need a bus to the Crowne Plaza Hotel."

The man nodded, and said, "You're in luck, there's one leaving right now, right out this door."

We ran outside, and the driver opened a space in the side of the bus for us to put our luggage at.

We headed inside of the bus, filing in the open seats.

I looked out the window at the beautiful sights, and arrived shortly at the plaza.

Once the bus came to a stop, I headed outside and grabbed my luggage, and waited for the others. Once everyone else got off the bus, and finally Hanna did, we grabbed the rest of the luggage.

We headed inside of the hotel, as Toby and Caleb checked in for us.

The person at the desk beckoned us towards him, and I lugged my suitcases to the desk. He passed each of us a key to the room, and told us that our room was on the second floor. We hopped into the elevator, and split up into the two rooms. The two rooms were conjoined, and there was a door that shared the rooms, and you could access the other room ,Spencer, Toby, and I headed into one of the rooms, and the others headed into the other room. Toby opened the door, and we greeted the four others. Hanna, Caleb, Emily, and Ali headed into our room, and I set my luggage beside a bed. There were two queens in each room, and a pull out couch.

"Is this how we want to divide ourselves?" Spencer asked.

We nodded.

"If we did girls in one and guys in the other, then it would be uneven." Toby pointed out.

"We could always switch it up too." I added.

"Alright, we're gonna settle in, text us when you're ready. I'm pretty sure there's a hotel tour at 5, but I would rather do exploring around the hotel as the 8 of us." Caleb finished.

Toby shut the door, and Spencer and I checked out the closet.

"Guys, come check this out!" Spencer called.

There was a decent sized closet with two racks, a row of shelving, and drawers beneath each rack. Spencer pointed to one side "This is where us girls keep our stuff," and the pointed to the other rack, "You guys can keep yours here."

"Aria and Spence can unload their stuff in here, and we'll change." Toby told Ezra.

Spencer and I headed out to grab our suitcases, and pulled them into the closet. Within 10 minutes, we had successfully hung up and unloaded our clothes. We wheeled our suitcases beside the beds, and I grabbed my outfit and bathing suit for today from the hangers.

I checked the time, it was 4:00.

The guys had finished changing and I called, "Switch!"

Spencer and I got changed in the bedroom, and then each sat on the beds, and texted the girls.

Ali opened up the conjoined door, followed by Emily and Caleb.

They joined us on the bed, and Caleb shut the door behind him.

"Hanna's still getting ready." He explained with an eye roll.

"Of course!" Spencer exclaimed.

Ezra and Caleb came out with their clothes and a pair of swim shorts under their pants.

"We'll get dinner at 5, I already made reservations." Spencer explained.

We nodded, and finally Hanna came into the room.

"I'm ready." She declared.

"Does everyone have their keys?" Toby asked, double checking.

We all nodded.

"We should go snorkeling tomorrow!" I suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ali agreed.

"Yeah, you guys know I'm in, I love to swim!" Em exclaimed.

We headed downstairs, and explored the resort.

There was a huge pool, the beach of course, and a great dining area.

As soon as we were finished, Spencer informed us that it was 4:45.

We headed to the front desk, and the woman told us that a shuttle would be here shortly.

We headed outside of the resort, and a shuttle picked us up.

The shuttle dropped us off at the 915 restaurant and we headed inside.

Spencer approached the host and said, "Hi, I have a reservation for Cavanaugh."

The host nodded, and told us "Follow me this way please."

We followed the host to a table for 8, and she handed us all menus.

Since we weren't 21, we had promised our parents to be responsible, and we ordered Cokes all around. However, Toby and Ezra could drink, but they felt bad.

Spencer, Ali, and I ordered the Organic Chicken Breast.

Ezra, Toby, and Caleb ordered the Seafood Soup.

Emily and Hanna kept it simple and ordered Caesar Salads.

"Em it's your vacation, you don't have to stay on a diet!" Ali protested.

"I know.. I was just in the mood for a salad." Em lied.

"Same with you Hanna." Caleb scolded.

"It's fine babe." Hanna insisted.

Soon enough, we had all finished our foods and headed outside.

We took the shuttle back to the hotel, and went back to our rooms.

Quickly, we threw off our clothes, and headed outside in our bathing suits.

I jumped into the pool and so did Em. I crept out of the pool and grabbed my camera.

Hanna was laying down on a chair, and Em and Caleb crept up towards her.

Caleb grabbed her head, and Em took her legs, and they threw her into the pool.

"Noooo!" Hanna screamed.

I threw back my head and laughed.

I just so happened to get a picture of the whole thing, and I put my camera back in its case. I jumped back into the pool, where an upset Hanna was.

We all surrounded Hanna and I pouted, "Come on Han. Lighten up."

I dove underwater and swam with Em.

Ezra scooped me up, and we dragged each other under.

He leaned in and we shared our first underwater kiss.

We headed back to the top where the others were.

Em began to do laps in the pool, it was huge!

I swam with her, and so did Ali.

The guys and Spencer joined, leaving Hanna in the shallow end.

I dove after Hanna, and dragged her to where we were.

Hanna smiled, and we all swam back and forth together.

Of course, Em won every time.

I went under again, and the way that the water felt on my back was amazing.

I came back to the surface and wrapped my arms around Ezra's neck.

My hair started to feel cold, so I headed back under.

Once my head bobbed back to the surface, I blurted "Thank you Spence."

"What for?" She asked.

"Setting up this vacation!" I exclaimed.

"Your welcome." She grinned.

Caleb shoved Hanna underwater, and she came back to the top with a grin.

"It's on!" Hanna screamed.

She and Caleb went back and forth and we all began to chuckle.

When Ezra wasn't looking, I dunked him under and laughed.

Laughing underwater feels so weird I realized.

Ezra dunked me as well, and the other couples were influenced to dunk each other.

"Guys.. we're the only ones in the pool." I noticed.

"Everyone's probably sightseeing." Spencer pointed out.

"Or at dinner." Caleb added.

"So this is a good time to be out and have everything to ourselves." Ali concluded.

I hopped out of the pool, dried off, and moved my stuff to a beach chair.

Everyone was still in the pool.

"Come on guys!" I yelled.

Everyone hopped out of the pool, and did the same.

I ran into the ocean, followed by Em and Spencer.

Everyone else followed, and the waves were surely coming.

I linked arms with the girls, and the guys continued to go further into the ocean.

"Be careful!" I called.

"We will!" Caleb assured us.

The girls and I jumped over the waves in sync, and it felt great.

A huge wave sent Hanna flying, and Em luckily caught her.

"I've got you Han." Em assured her.

"Thanks." Hanna said with a nod.

She shook it off, and headed back into the ocean like a trooper.

Caleb had already ran onto the shore to make sure she was okay.

"I'm good babe." She assured him.

Caleb ran back to the guys further into the ocean.

I started to swim back there, and Ezra called "Baby you're too short."

'Aw." I pouted and headed back to the other girls.

"You've gotta stick with your pack." Hanna pointed out.

"Yup I'm here." I assured them.

"Everyone in this ocean is my pack!" I exclaimed.

"Let's go back to the pool." Em suggested.

We headed back to the pool, and I jumped back in.

"Ouch that kinda burns." I sighed.

"Are you okay Aria?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah I'm good, I just hit the water a little quickly." I assured him.

Ezra nodded.

Ezra and I held each other in the pool, and we all just stayed like that for a while.

"We should go back inside." Spencer suggested.

I looked around and noticed it was pretty dark, and I nodded.

I dried off my clothes, and threw my coverup back on.

We headed back inside of the hotel, and Em and I whipped out our keys.

We opened the doors, and headed inside.

We all decided to hang out in Em's room, and we just sat there and talked the rest of the night.

Around 10, I headed back to my room.

We did shifts again, the guys changed first, and then we changed.

Ezra and I got into our bed, Spencer and Toby got in theirs.

"Goodnight!" I announced.

"Goodnight!" We all chorused.

I leaned over to the bedside table and turned off the lamp.

The Next Morning

I awoke to see Spencer, Toby, and Ezra getting out of bed.

I looked over to see that it was 8:32 am.

The breakfast closes at 10, and I ran to get my clothes on.

Once I was changed, Spencer, Toby, Ezra, and I headed downstairs.

Ezra grabbed us a table for four, and I headed around to get my food.

I made a Belgium waffle, had bacon, hashbrown, and an egg omlette.

I sat back down at the table, and dug into my food.

I looked around but couldn't spot Caleb, Hanna, Em, and Alison.

I leaned over towards Ezra and asked, "Where are the other four?"

"They woke up early, Em wanted to get extra pool time in." He replied.

I nodded, and Spencer and Toby sat down with us.

"Did you guys wait for me to wake up?" I asked.

"We woke up about 15 minutes before you." Toby replied.

I nodded my thanks, and finished my food.

"Spencer found a place for us to go snorkeling at 11." Toby told me.

"Awesome thanks Spence!" I exclaimed.

"No problem." She nodded.

I threw away my food, and headed out the door.

I ran into the ocean to find Ali, Hanna, and Caleb talking.

"Good morning!" I greeted.

They waved in response.

"Where's Em?" I asked.

Ali pointed to the pool.

"Ah." I blurted.

I saw Spence, Toby, Em, and Ezra approach.

They gestured for us to go up to them, and we did.

"If we want to go snorkeling, we have to catch the bus now." Spence told us.

I nodded, dried off, and we headed outside.

We boarded the bus, and headed off to go snorkeling.

Once we arrived at our location, Spencer thanked the driver, and we headed out to the shore. A catamaran was in the shallow end of the ocean, along with an instructor.

"Hello!" Spencer called.

The instructor waved in return.

We all headed up towards the instructor, and Spencer told him, "I'm Spencer Cavanaugh."

"Ahh Mrs. Cavanaugh, yes I spoke to you on the phone. Hello." He replied.

"Alright, let's get snorkeling! I'd like you all to split in half, my other friend is right over there with his catamaran. He gestured to the other catamaran and the man." He finished. We gathered around and decided that Hanna, Caleb, Ezra and I would go with the other guy, and the others would go with the man who Spencer spoke with.

Hanna, Caleb, Ezra, and I headed towards the other man.

He greeted us, Caleb, and Ezra took one side of the catamaran,, and we took the other side.

We headed far out into the ocean and went as far as the man would let us.

We dove off the catamaran, and our wet suits smacked against our bodies.

I looked over at Em, Toby, Spence, and Ali, and waved.

I looked down to see turtles, sharks, fish, and all kind of beings. We headed throughout the water together, us 8. It was quite amazing, when we were finished, we hopped back on the catamaran. The two instructors had been so kind as to take us around in their boat a little while longer, since we were finished. After the catamaran ride, Spencer thanked the men, and we walked across the street from the beach. We all stood there, waiting for the bus to come back.

"That was amazing." Em sighed.

We all nodded.

The bus swung around, and it dropped us off at the hotel.

We all headed back into the pool to relax.

End of Flashback


	11. Chapter 11

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

I looked down to see turtles, sharks, fish, and all kind of beings. We headed throughout the water together, us 8. It was quite amazing, when we were finished, we hopped back on the catamaran. The two instructors had been so kind as to take us around in their boat a little while longer, since we were finished. After the catamaran ride, Spencer thanked the men, and we walked across the street from the beach. We all stood there, waiting for the bus to come back.

"That was amazing." Em sighed.

We all nodded.

The bus swung around, and it dropped us off at the hotel.

We all headed back into the pool to relax.

End of Flashback

Ch 11: Spencer's Flashbacks

Spencer's POV:

After a stressful day at Aria's, I went up to my bedroom to look at my photowall. There were tons of photos, Toby and I's wedding, the day Mikey was born, Mikey's first birthday, a picture of the girls and I in front the Little White House in Key West, Aria's wedding, Hanna's wedding, Em's wedding, etc! A picture of Mikey before he turned one caught my eye.

Flashback

"Come on Mikey! Come on!" I exclaimed.

Toby had his arms around my waist as we watched little Mikey struggle to walk.

He toppled over, and began to cry.

I looked at Toby and groaned, "It's hopeless."

Toby looked over my shoulder and shouted, "Spence, look!"

I spun around to see Mikey walking towards me, and he hugged my legs.

"Mama!" He exclaimed.

"No way!" I exclaimed, tears pouring from my eyes.

I pulled out my phone, I absolutely had to get this on tape.

"Go to Daddy now!" I exclaimed as Toby ran to the other side of the room.

Mikey began to walk towards Toby, and once he got here, Toby scooped him up.

"Good boy Mikey!" Toby praised.

Mikey grinned and looked at the two of us.

"My little boy can walk." I murmured.

"He's growing up so fast." Toby added.

"Next thing you know he'll be one, then he'll have his first girlfriend, get a car, and run away with her!" I sobbed.

Mikey soon began to cry, and Toby whispered, "Shhh.. It's okay Mikey."

"Spence, he just went through a huge milestone, but trust me, we're far away from his girlfriend years." Toby assured.

"He won't date until he's 30." I smirked.

"All of the girls will be lining up for our handsome Mikey." Toby added.

I wiped away tears from my eyes and chuckled.

Toby always knows how to make me feel better.

"Our little Mikey." I cooed.

I pulled out my phones, and sent the video to Veronica, Hanna, Aria, Emily, Ali, Pam, Melissa, Ashley, and Ella.

Hanna responded with, "The cutest thing! I wish Bella would walk :("

The girls all had similar responses, and I pointed out, "I had him before you guys had yours, maybe that's it!"

The girls all insisted on coming over, so I sat on the couch and waited for their arrival.

Much to my surprise, Hanna arrived first, followed by Caleb, carrying Bella in her arms.

Hanna quickly passed Bella onto Caleb and ran towards Mikey and I.

"There's my little man!" She exclaimed, picking Mikey up, and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

Mikey had a huge smile on his face, and Hanna began to play peek-a-boo with him.

While Hanna was having so much fun with my son, I went to the door to answer the doorbell.

Aria, Emily, Alison, and Ezra came in.

"Hello!" I greeted.

Aria and Emily carried Sarah and Jonathan, and placed them on the couch.

They went over to Mikey as well, followed by Alison and Ezra.

"Let's show them what you can do Mikey!" I exclaimed.

I scooped up Mikey from Hanna, and set him down gently on the floor.

I went to the other side of the room, and called out "Come here Mikey!"

Mikey began to wobble over to me, and hugged my legs.

"Awww!" The girls chorused.

"He's so cute." Aria cooed.

"Thanks." I grinned.

Sarah, Jonathan, Mikey, and Bella all began to crawl around.

The girls and I exchanged looks, and chased after our little ones.

We scooped up our children, and sat back on the couch.

"We'll have to take down the gates babe." Toby pointed out,

I nodded, since Mikey can walk, we'd have to start introducing him to the stairs.

"Not today." I replied.

Toby nodded, "Okay."

"Ezra! We have to continue urging Jonathan to walk!" Aria whined.

"Okay babe, he'll get there eventually." Ezra pointed out.

Alison began playing with Sarah's curls, and Hanna admired Sarah.

"Kids can be so much work sometimes." I whispered.

Every adult in the room nodded in agreement.

"We should take a vacation!" Hanna exclaimed.

We all looked at her.

"We can't babe! We have so much to take care of, and we can't leave the kids." Caleb sighed.

"Maybe when the kids are a little older, and our parents visit." Em suggested.

"We should take a trip similar to the one we had at Key West!" Aria exclaimed.

Our eyes all widened at the thought.

Key West was so fun, and probably the best vacation ever.

End of Flashback

After thinking about that special moment, I was reminded of what Hanna said, and another memory came to my mind.

Flashback

It was our third day in Key West, and Toby and I were in the pool. We had found some floats beside the pool, and Toby and I were drinking ('virgin')Pina Coladas while floating in the pool. Emily was constantly doing laps, going back and forth and back and forth. It was weird, seeing her like that. After Em's swim career ended, I couldn't imagine seeing her so passionate about swimming ever again. I know Em's always loved to swim, it was just disorienting.

"I love you." I whispered to Toby.

"I love you too." He replied.

The two of us sat there, held hands, and floated in a corner.

"Spence!" Hanna yelled.

I spun around and rolled my eyes.

"Come on over, the water feels great!" Aria yelled.

Toby and I ditched our pina coladas and put them back at the bar.

"Come on Em!" I exclaimed.

"I'm staying." Em said.

I shrugged, grabbed Toby's hand, and we ran into the ocean.

The waves were insane, and today we all decided to go far into the ocean.

We all formed a line, holding hands, and jumped over the waves.

"Come on Em!" Ali yelled.

Em looked up from the pool, and kept swimming.

"Emily Fields!" Alison yelled.

Em spun around, and looked at Ali.

Em headed towards us, and joined us in the water.

"It feels great." She whispered.

"Told you so." Aria boasted.

"Ezra! Aria!" Voices called.

We all spun around to see Hardy and his wife in the ocean.

"Hardy!" Ezra and Aria chorused, giving him a hug.

"Hello!" Hardy said with a wave.

"I'm Spencer, and this is my husband Toby." I started.

The girls seemed to get the hang of it, and continued.

"I'm Alison."

"I'm Emily."

"I'm Hanna."

"I'm Caleb."

"Nice to meet you all." Hardy said with a nod.

"Same to you." Toby nodded.

Hardy and his wife swam away, and when they were out of sight, the guys started talking.

"I don't like him." Toby sighed.

"Why?" Ezra asked.

"He smells like alcohol." Toby hissed.

"Yeah Hardy can get really drunk." Ezra whispered.

Toby and Ezra exchanged glances, and I put my hand on Toby's shoulder.

"Race ya to the sandbar!" I yelled.

I began to swim towards the sandbar, as Toby pushed me down in the water.

I came back out, and protested, "Hey!"

Toby leaned in for a kiss, and we kissed for a little bit.

I threw my arms on Toby's neck, and Ezra called out, "Toby watch out!"

I ran towards the sandbar, and stood there with a grin.

"Hey!" Toby yelled.

"That was unfair!" He whined.

"Poor baby." I said with an eye roll.

Everyone began to chuckle, and I smiled at Toby in reassurance.

I gave his shoulder a small nudge and he smiled.

"You sure are competitive Spence." Caleb commented.

"Obviously!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Spencer's the most competitive of all!" Ali agreed.

"I am rather competitive." I grinned.

I ran towards the shore and dove in the pool.

Someone gave my shoulder a tap, and I saw that it was Em.

"I beat you here." She said with a shrug.

I crossed my arms, and looked up at the six others who joined us.

"Lighten up Spence." Aria insisted.

I relaxed my shoulders and headed underwater.

I let the cool water hit every inch of my skin, and came back up.

"Let's do those hair flips!" Hanna exclaimed.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Here.. I'll show you." Hanna replied.

Hanna stuck her head underwater, with her hair in front of her face, came back up, and flipped her hair back.

"See, like that!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Come on Han, that's something we would've done in middle school." I groaned.

"Please Spence." Aria whispered.

I sighed, and the girls applauded.

We held hands, and went underwater together, and flipped our hair back.

The guys applauded at the surface, and I noticed that Ezra had his camera in his hand.

He turned around the polaroid picture, and it looked amazing!

You could see the water flying through the air and everything!

"Wow!" Aria gushed.

Ezra nodded, set the camera back in its bag, and headed back into the pool.

I began to lay my head back, and floated around the pool.

End of Flashback

I moved onto the next picture, which was one of Jonathan and I.

Flashback

"He's our godson Toby! I've gotta see him!" I whined.

"Spencer, you just gave birth two days ago, I'm sure Aria understands." Toby scolded.

"I've gotta see him!" I exclaimed.

"Please Toby." I whispered.

He sighed, as Veronica entered the room.

"Take Michael." I told her, and stormed out of the room.

Toby chased me as I headed to Aria's room.

I softly knocked on the door, and heard Aria call, "Come in."

\ I opened the door knob to see Aria holding a little blue bundle in her arms.

I ran into the room, and took Mikey.

"What the hell Spence?" Aria asked.

"You're supposed to be in bed." She added.

I was shocked by her words, and replied, 'I snuck out."

I put my finger to my lips, signaling to not tell anyone.

"Who has Michael?" Ezra asked.

I paused and thought about his question, and snapped, "It's Mikey actually."

"Veronica does." Toby butted in, rolling his eyes at me.

"Jonathan Byron Fitz right?" I asked.

Aria nodded, wiping tears from her eyes.

"He's so cute." I cooed.

"I've gotta get her back." Toby exclaimed.

I passed Jonathan back to Aria, and he pulled me outside.

"Gee." I complained, touching my arm.

Toby lead me back to the room, and we headed inside.

End of Flashback

I moved onto the next picture; my baby shower.

I smiled, and another thought came to mind.

Flashback

The girls and I, minus Em were all headed to a location that the guys and Em had told us to meet at. We were going on a date with everyone, and I was beyond thrilled.

Hanna drove us all to the location, since the guys and Em had mysteriously left earlier.

We pulled into the designated location, and headed inside.

The lights were off, and I yelled, "Hello?"

"Guys this is an -A setup." Aria whispered.

"Surprise!" A group of people yelled.

The lights flickered on, and I looked around at my family and friends.

Em, Ezra, Toby, and Caleb gave us all hugs.

I looked around to see blue and pink banners, streamers, balloons, and other decor.

I put my hands to my face when I realized what was happening.

"Oh my god!" Ali exclaimed.

We all looked around and admired the sight.

Toby led me to a place to sit down at a table with the other girls, and food was already on the table.

"Do you like your baby shower?" Ezra asked us.

I nodded and smiled.

A bunch of people began to surround the table, so the guys headed to another table.

"Congratulations!" Pam beamed.

"Thank you!" We chorused.

Pam handed the guys and Em all huge gifts, and they put them aside into four different piles. Veronica, Ella, and Ashley each passed the men gifts as well.

The four women waved and sat down back at their table.

Melissa, Wren, and her children came up to everyone.

"Hello!" Melissa greeted.

We all waved.

Melissa handed the men gifts, and wrapped me in a hug.

"Auntie Spence!" Bethany exclaimed.

I gave Bethany a quick hug.

Aaron said, "Hello."

Matt just stood there and smiled, holding onto Melissa's legs.

I waved at little Matt, and he grinned.

"I'm so happy for you." Melissa told me with a smile.

I gave her a soft smile back, and looked uneasily at Wren, who just followed Melissa everywhere.

He looked at us, scooped up Matt, and walked away.

Once the five had left our table, college friends came into play.

My college roommate; Rebecca came over and passed me a gift.

"Congrats Spence!" She exclaimed.

"Rebecca!" I exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug.

"I've missed you." She whispered.

"I've missed you too." I returned.

"Nice too see you again Rebecca." Toby stated.

"Likewise." Rebecca nodded with a chuckle.

"I hope you'll enjoy my gift." She told me, squeezed my hand, and walked away.

I exchanged a glance with Toby, and then looked away.

Aria and her previous roommate were already in a conversation, Ali and Hanna were both talking to someone they had met in the fashion career, and I sighed.

I dug into my food, and smiled.

The food was delicious, and I was nearly 100% sure that Ezra made it.

"Time for gifts!" Toby exclaimed.

Each of the men pushed over gifts towards us, and I turned around in my chair, facing the guys. They pulled up a chair next to each one of us, and Toby sat down behind me. Veronica looked at me eagerly, and shoved over a large blue wrapped present. I opened a cute card, that was signed:Love you, Mom. I looked at a huge gift and looked at Toby.

"Together?" He asked.

I nodded, and we tore the wrapping paper.

My eyes widened at the sight of the crib.

"Mom this is.." I began.

"Your little boy will need a crib." She shrugged.

"Thank you." Toby and I chorused.

I looked over to see that the other couples got cribs from their parents as well.

"Mine next!" Pam told Hanna, Aria, and I.

I tore open the wrapping paper; by myself this time, and revealed a play gym.

The girls and I looked at each other and smiled.

"Thanks Pam!" We chorused.

She nodded, "You're welcome girls."

Ella looked at us and nodded.

Toby and I tore open one of those FisherPrice things.

"Thanks Ella, Michael will love it!" I exclaimed.

Everyone gasped.

"Whoops." I looked at Toby and shrugged.

"I thought you weren't going to tell us the name until later." Veronica protested.

"Well it happened so." I shrugged.

Ashley shook it off, and passed us her gift.

I revealed a wagon, and Aria spoke up.

"I can just imagine taking pictures of my little one with my camera, thank you Ashley." She told her.

"Your welcome Aria." She replied with a smile. '

"Thank you Ashley!" Ali and I chorused.

She nodded, and I opened up my gift from Melissa.

It was one of those activity garden things for kids.

"Thanks Mel." I said with a nod.

Rebecca had gotten me a mini lawnmower, some toys, and stuffed animals.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"I know it's not much but-" She began.

"Please Becca, it's a lot, and just what Mikey needs." I replied.

She smiled, and I squeezed her hand.

Once the girls and I had finished with the gifts, Ezra came out with cake.

I dug into the triple chocolate cake and moaned.

"It's so good!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you." Ezra exclaimed with a small bow.

Aria giggled at his gesture, and we all laughed; since Aria was too.

End of Flashback

I looked back at the photo and smiled.

I moved onto the photo before the baby shower one.

Ah, my proposal.

Flashback

"Spencer, I want our anniversary to be special, let's go somewhere." Toby blurted.

I looked up from the Scrabble Board, and Toby continued,"Our anniversary's next weekend, let's go to Cape May."

"Okay." I replied.

The Next Weekend

Once we arrived in Cape May, Toby opened the car door for me. He took me out to dinner, and suggested, "Let's go to the beach, take a walk.

I nodded, what if he was going to break up with me?

Toby grabbed my hand, and led me down the beach, and he stopped us.

The beach was abandoned, totally gone. There was an object laying in the middle of the beach, and I had an urge to run towards it. Toby grabbed my hand, and we went a few feet from the object, to a chair. There were candles making a path to the chair, and I had a strong feeling of what was going to happen. I raised my eyebrow and looked at Toby.

"Sit down Spence." He told me.

I sat down in my chair, and looked up at him.

"Spencer Hastings, the love of my life. I have never been anyones favorite person in life, but you are mine, and I want me to be yours. When you handed the mail to me at my door, I was seriously shocked. When we studied for French together, I felt a connection. I thought that day, that the connection would never mean anything to you. When I started helping you with -A, and you helped me with Jenna, I was excited. I knew that it meant that something good would happen. When I gave you my shirt in the motel that night, and you took it, I was surprised. By the way, I felt your arms wrapped against me that morning, I just didn't want to say anything. God, what was I doing with my hair back then? It was a mess." He paused, letting me chuckle, while tears fell down my face.

He continued, "We shared our first kiss, and sparks flew. We held hands, and spent more time together. I don't think we ever formerly began to date, but that doesn't matter now. When I became a police officer, that was the worst mistake I've ever made. I hurt you Spence, and you let me. It wasn't right, it isn't right. Man, when Johnny hurt you, I was so angry. When you were back in my arms again, everything just felt better. You and Me Spence. It'll always be us. I want it to always be us. I love you Spencer Hastings. I'm not too good with words here. I can't even put it into words of how much I love you. You're my soul mate Spencer, nothing can ever take that away from us. I want to watch our children grow up together, I want to spend my life with you. I want to listen to every problem you come across, share tears, smiles, and laughs. I want to be here every time you make a decision, and get a new opportunity. I want to live with you Spence. Spencer Hastings I love you."

"Without further ado." He murmured, pulling out the object I looked at earlier, and getting on one knee. Tears continued to flow down my cheeks, and he wiped them away.

Toby held up a Scrabble board, with the words "Will You Marry Me?"

"Will you do the honor of marrying me Spencer Hastings?" He asked, opening a velvet box.

"Yes! Of course!" I exclaimed and sobbed.

Toby picked me up, and spun me around.

I laughed, and threw my arms around his neck.

"I love you too Toby." I whispered.

He grinned, and we exchanged a kiss.

"I think you got a double word score." I told him.

He threw his head back and laughed.

We held each other for a while, and I just looked at him.

End of Flashback

I smiled, wiping tears from my eyes, and moved onto the next picture. The picture was at me at Melissa's new home in England. I was only a freshman in college at the time.

Flashback

I looked over at my mom, who was currently driving us to Melissa's new home.

"I can't wait to see it!" She exclaimed.

I smiled, and my mom pulled up to a large, two floored home.

I knocked and rang the doorbell.

Melissa smiled, and opened the door.

"Hello!" She exclaimed.

"Hi!" My mom and I chorused.

"Alright, time for the grand tour." Melissa declared.

Melissa started by saying, "It's a 4 bed, 4 bath home."

She turned around, and we nodded.

She let us take off our coats and shoes, and we proceeded to the living room.

"This is our living room." She began, gesturing to the room.

She led us into the kitchen, "This is our kitchen table and this is my cooking area." The kitchen table had enough space for six people, and there was a large kitchen. She led us into the next room; the dining room.

"Wren and I wanted a large space to entertain, so we needed a grand dining room." Melissa pointed out.

I admired the table fit for 12 people, and the two chairs in the room.

"That's it for the downstairs." She concluded.

We went up the stairs, to see a long hallway.

"To your left are our two bathrooms for children." She began.

My mom and I exchanged a look, and Melissa raised her eyebrow.

"Moving on." She declared.

"To the right is the master bedroom."She told us.

Melissa led us into her bedroom, which had a queen bed. The colors in the bedroom were amazing, there was a nice blue color in the main room. There was two nightstands, and a walk in closet. She lead us into the master bathroom, which had two sinks, with tiling around them. There was a gorgeous and very large shower as well.

Melissa took us out of the bedroom, and gestured to the next room. "This is the nursery."

We walked in to find a sleeping Bethany in her crib.

"She's so beautiful." I cooed.

"Thank you." Melissa grinned.

We crept out of the nursery and she gestured to the two other bedrooms on each side of the hall. "These are for future children." She stated, and led us back downstairs.

She opened her backdoor to a grand patio. She had a huge swimming pool as well. Melissa led us to the guesthouse, and we walked inside. Inside the guesthouse, was a small kitchen, a living room, and three guest rooms.

"This is a great space." My mother spoke.

"I agree." Melissa murmured.

"So, what do you think?" Melissa asked.

"I love it." I cooed.

"Thanks Spence." Melissa whispered.

I nodded.

Melissa looked over at my mother.

"It's extraordinary Melissa. Though I did notice how you have extra bedrooms upstairs for children." My mother replied.

"Well, Wren and I want to have four children, so three bedrooms will do for now." Melissa replied.

Veronica nodded.

"So, how has Wren been?" I asked, changing the clearly uncomfortable topic.

"Great, he is getting high pay from work." Melissa replied, drifting off.

"How about college?" She asked.

"I love UPenn, the professors are great, and I'm really enjoying it." I stated with a smile.

"That's great Spence!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Thanks." I smiled.

"How about you and Toby?" Melissa asked.

"Great, our relationship is still tight, and I can see ourselves with a future." I gushed.

"I'm so happy for you!" Melissa grinned.

"More grandchildren for me." Veronica whispered.

I gave her a playful nudge, and the three of us sat down with coffee on Melissa's couch.

End of Flashback

I smiled at the thought, I really missed Melissa.

I moved onto the next picture of Rebecca and I in our dorm.

Flashback

I looked at my key that I was given at the front desk, with 309 engraved into it. 309 was my dorm room number. My parents had already dropped me off, and I was finally alone. I set down my suitcases, and lay down on the top bunk bed.

"Picking spots already?" A voice asked.

I sat up, and saw a girl standing in the doorway.

"Your lucky I love the bottom bunk." She added.

I got down from the bunk bed, and stood there.

"Hi, I'm Rebecca." She introduced.

"I'm Spencer, your roommate." I returned, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you Spencer." She smiled.

"Do you need any help carrying anything in?" I asked.

"Yeah, actually, thanks." She grinned.

We left our dorm room open as we headed to the parking lot.

Rebecca opened her trunk, and passed me a few boxes.

"Thanks." She murmured.

"No problem." I stated.

"So, where are you from?" I asked.

"Maryland, close to D.C. How about you?" She answered.

"Rosewood." I replied.

"Oh, you're.. Spencer Hastings." She realized.

"Yeah, I came to college to have a fresh start though.I'll tell you about my past when we know each other better." I concluded.

"Sorry, and yeah I totally respect that. I just recognized you." She replied.

"You don't have to apologize, it's okay. So what's your major?" I asked.

"Business- law more specifically, how about you?" She answered.

"Me too!" I exclaimed.

"No way!" She exclaimed.

I gave her a quick high five as we headed back to the dorm room.

"So why did you come to UPenn?" She asked.

"My sister went here. My parents basically have had my future lined up since I was 6." I finished with a chuckle.

I added, "Though I heard it's a great school. How about you?"

"Its been my dream school." She replied.

I nodded, "Cool."

"Thanks." She replied.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, his name is Toby. How about you?" I answered.

"That's nice, I just went through a tough break up." She replied.

"I'm sorry." I murmured.

"It's okay." She said and squeezed my hand.

"I'll tell you when I'm ready." She added.

I nodded.

Right then and there, I could tell that Rebecca and I would be good friends.

"Thank god the walls are blue." She blurted.

I looked at her and raised my eyebrow.

She continued, "I was imagining them to be a disastrous color. Plus I bought a purple rug for the room." She finished, reaching into one of her boxes.

She grabbed out a lavender, fuzzy rug, and threw it down on the floor.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

"It's cute." I nodded.

Rebecca and I sat down on the bottom bunk, and continued to talk.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked me.

"Hmmm… blue." I finished.

"Mine too." She smiled.

"What's your favorite food?" I asked.

"Definitely mac &amp; cheese." She replied.

"I love lasagna." I added.

"Lasagna's really good." She agreed.

"Did you play any sports throughout the years?" She asked.

"Field Hockey." I replied.

"Ahh, I love soccer." She finished.

"Pet Peeves?" I asked.

"Smoking, I hate when people smoke." She sighed.

"Same here, and ignorant people." I added.

"True." She agreed.

"Hmmm.. what's your favorite froyo topping?" She asked.

"Ugh, that's so hard. I load my froyo with m&amp;ms, reese's cups, crushed up oreos, butterfingers, and all that good stuff." I sighed.

"I can't choose." I concluded.

"Same, they're all too great." She agreed.

"Favorite resturaunt?" I asked.

"Olive Garden!" We both chorused.

We burst into a fit of laughter, and I gave her a small hug.

"Well roomie, I've gotta finish unpacking." I told her.

"Roomie, huh?" She smirked.

"Yup, I'm calling you roomie. It's official." I declared.

"Okay roomie." She smiled.

"Hey that isn't cool." I crossed my arms.

"If I'm 'roomie' then your roomie too." She pointed out.

"Alright." I sighed.

"Roomie." I added.

"Stop!" She groaned.

I threw a pillow at her, and she threw one at me, and we stayed like that for a while.

I chuckled at the memory, and moved onto the next photo.

The next photo was one of Ali, Em, Aria, Spencer, and I in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Flashback

"We're finally here!" Hanna squealed.

She squeezed Caleb's hand, and we ran towards the Eiffel.

"Take pictures!" Aria told Ezra.

Ezra took pictures of the girls and I, and got a polaroid of Aria 'holding' the Eiffel Tower. We all headed to the first lift, and reached the first floor of the Eiffel. I looked around and shouted, "You can see rooftops!"

Toby nodded.

We took the two other lifts, and finally reached the top.

"We're here." I grinned.

"There's no place I'd rather be." Toby told me.

"I love you." I told him.

"I love you too." He replied.

Toby fixed my beret, and fixated it perfectly on my head.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Alright lovebirds." Ali snapped.

Em leaned in to shut up Ali, and kissed her.

"Who's the lovebirds now?" I joked.

I looked down at the tiny ant people and the miniature buildings.

"We're here." Aria said.

"We know." Hanna pointed out.

Aria finished, "No. All of us. Us together."

"Ohhh.." Hanna began.

We all held our significant other, and looked down at the beautiful sight of Paris. Aria had taken nearly 20 polaroids already, here film was probably out. Paris is so beautiful and I'm so grateful to be here.

"It's so beautiful." Emily cooed.

Caleb grabbed Hanna's beret and put it on his head.

"Now this is adorable." Hanna chuckled.

"Of course.. Paris is beautiful too." Hanna added.

We all burst into laughter and grinned.

"It is cute. Caleb should model berets more!" Em teased.

Caleb gave her a playful nudge, "Hey!" He protested.

Hanna pulled out her phone, and showed Caleb a picture of him.

"This is how you look." Hanna chuckled.

"Well I do look fabulous." Caleb realized, fixing his berets.

Hanna put on her selfie stick, and we all took a selfie- on the Eiffel Tower.

"Hanna!" Caleb yelled.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"Did you keep the picture?" Caleb asked.

"No." Hanna smirked.

Caleb reached for Hanna's phone, and I shoved his hand back, "It could fall of the Eiffel Tower." I scolded.

Caleb nodded, and Hanna grinned, and put it in her bag.

"Delete it." I told her.

"Too late.. I already sent it.. it's my lockscreen." She giggled.

"Hanna." Caleb growled.

"Let's get down before these two kill each other." Em suggested.

We all nodded, and headed back down the tower.

"Please delete it." Caleb begged.

"Okay." Hanna pouted.

"Here comes the pouts." Em warned him.

Caleb nodded understandingly.

We got off of the tower, and stood back on the ground.

"Woah." I blurted.

"That was-" Hanna began.

"Crazy." Aria finished

"I know." Em said.

"We know." Ali finished.

"You guys are all interconnected with some sort of knowledge of what the next person is going to say." Caleb blurted.

"They're practically sisters." Toby pointed out.

"True." Ezra agreed.

Caleb nodded, seeing their point.

"You guys are family too." I added.

"We know." Ezra clarified.

"We're all family." Em added.

"One Big Happy Family." Aria finished.

"We should write a book." Ezra announced.

"About what?" Toby asked.

"Our lives, as One Big Happy Family." Ezra finished.

"Do you think people would read it?" Ali asked.

"Of course!" Aria exclaimed.

"I think its a great idea Ezra." Hanna chipped in.

"Thanks Hanna." Ezra smiled.

Hanna did a small curtsy.

"I'm hungry." Ali groaned.

"For once, I agree." Caleb sighed.

"Let's go find somewhere to eat." I announced.

We walked down the streets of Paris, all eight of us, and entered a restaurant. Macarons were all waiting for us on the table.

"I've always wanted one of these!" Hanna gushed, picking one up.

We all feasted on the macarons, and ordered crepes and unique French food for lunch. It was our first full day of Paris, and we had so much to explore.

End of Flashback


	12. Chapter 12

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

We walked down the streets of Paris, all eight of us, and entered a restaurant. Macarons were all waiting for us on the table.

"I've always wanted one of these!" Hanna gushed, picking one up.

We all feasted on the macarons, and ordered crepes and unique French food for lunch. It was our first full day of Paris, and we had so much to explore.

End of Flashback

Ch 12: Em's Flashbacks

Emily's POV

I walked into my home, and ran my hand through my hair. Ali looked at me and sighed.

"C'mon babe." Ali pleaded, reaching for my hand.

I pushed her hand back, and ran upstairs.

"Em!" Ali called.

I shut the door behind me, and sagged onto the ground in front of the photowall.

Tears began to stream down my face, and I wiped them away.

I stared at my photowall, taking in all of the memories.

One particular picture caught my eye, of Ali and I.

Flashback

I had texted Aria, Hanna, and Spencer earlier, and asked them if they'd like to come over. My parents were away for the weekend, it was a perfect girls night opportunity. However, all of the girls declined due to prior plans. I sighed, and scrolled through my phone contacts. Ali. Alison DiLaurentis.

Ali's name was bold on my contacts, with a heart emoticon next to it. My finger roamed around my phone, and I took a deep breath. I pressed Ali's contact, and hit the little phone icon.

I held the phone to my ear, and Ali picked up on the first ring.

"Hey Em." Ali murmured.

"Hey Ali." I whispered.

"The girls all have plans and I was wondering-" I began.

Ali cut me off, "I'd love to come over."

"Great, how about-" I started.

"I'll be over in five." Ali stated, and hung up the phone.

I stalked off to my bathroom, and made sure my hair looked okay. I checked out my outfit, nodded, and headed back to my room.

Surely enough, a knock came from downstairs.

I went downstairs and opened the door to Ali.

"Hey Ali." I blurted.

"Hey Em." She said.

We stood there, looking at each other.

"Come in." I blurted, and gestured to my couch.

Alison walked in, and I closed the door behind her.

I joined Ali on the couch, and we sat down.

Ali interrupted the silence, "Have you ever wondered if people are thinking about you?"

"All of the time." I replied, fixating on the conversation.

"Well, after being- well you know, I had a lot of time to think." Ali started.

I nodded, urging her to continue.

She continued, "Did you think about me Em?"

I inhaled deeply, and let out a deep breath.

"Yes." I murmured.

"Did you worry about me?" Ali urged.

"Yes." I replied.

"I worried about you too." Ali whispered.

"I love you." I blurted.

Ali stared at me, and my heart sunk.

"I-I'm so sorry I-" I began.

Ali began to laugh, "Em.. I love you too."

"Oh." I whispered.

Ali squeezed my hand, and I leaned in.

We exchanged a kiss, and I let out a soft smile.

"Thank you Em." Ali stated.

"For what?" I asked.

"Thinking of me." She stated.

"-and being there." She finished.

I nodded, "You're welcome Ali."

She smiled.

"So, is pizza okay?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Let's go up to my room." I suggested.

Ali obeyed, and followed me up the stairs.

I held my finger up to Ali, and dialed the pizza place.

"Hello, I'd like to place an order for delivery. Yes, two large pizzas; one pepperoni, and one cheese please." I began.

"Is that all?" The guy on the other line asked.

I looked at Ali, who mouthed 'Mozzarella sticks'.

"An order of mozzarella sticks as well please." I added, earning a grin from Ali.

"Alright, it should be about 15 minutes. " The man replied.

"Okay, thank you. "I stated, and hung up.

I placed my phone on my bedside table, and looked at Ali.

I motioned for her to join me on my bed, and she did.

We both lay down, looking at my ceiling.

"Hey Ali." I blurted.

"What?" She asked.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Sure." She murmured.

"When you were- well you know. Did you think that we still worried about you?" I asked.

Ali sighed, "I wasn't sure. I thought that the others… gave up on me."

I nodded.

"But, I knew that you had hope Em. You always did, and always will." She added with a small smile.

"Why did you have so much courage in me?" I asked.

"Maybe it was because of your courage in me." Ali shrugged.

I tilted my head, strangely confused.

Ali cleared things up, "I felt it Em. I felt your hope and encouragement. It made me believe, that I could get out of there."

"Wow." I blurted.

"Thank you Ali." I added.

"Did you have that hope Em?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Good." She sighed.

She changed the subject, "So why aren't the others here?"

"Family plans." I shrugged.

Ali nodded.

"Good. Now I have you all to myself." She teased.

"I've missed you Ali." I sighed.

"I've missed you too." She returned.

I wrapped my arms Ali, and held her tight, hoping to stay like that for a while.

End of Flashback

The flashback made me think of another event; Ali's trial.

Flashback

I was holding Aria and Spence's hands tightly, waiting for the result of the trial.

"In the case of the commonwealth versus Alison DiLaurentis, we find the defendant not guilty." The voice bellowed.

My face lit up, and tears streamed down Alison's face.

Alison's lawyer gave her a large hug, and Ali slowly returned it.

Once the jury began to file out, and everyone around us, I walked over towards Ali.

Jason and were already standing beside Ali, with smiles.

"I do believe I owe you girls an apology." Mr. DiLaurentis began.

"I'm sorry for accusing you about the whole backstory, it wasn't right." He sighed.

"Its okay." Aria and I chorused.

Mr. DiLaurentis nodded, beckoned Jason, and they stalked off to talk to Ali's lawyer.

"So." Ali began.

"So." Spencer whispered.

"You're free." I murmured.

"I'm free." She repeated, with a small smile.

"Thanks for coming." Ali whispered.

"This isn't a birthday party Alison, this is serious." Spencer snapped.

I gave her a scolding look, and Spencer released tension from her shoulders.

"Spencer, I understand you're mad." Ali murmured.

She continued,"I appreciate it that you guys supported me."

"It was no problem Ali." I whispered.

"Yeah." Aria agreed.

"Well, I'd better get going." Ali sighed.

I waved goodbye, and stalked off with the girls.

End of Flashback

I sighed, and moved onto a picture of me on my first day of college.

Flashback

I looked around at my four best friends, and tears streamed down my face.

"Hey, we'll see each other soon." Aria whispered, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I know it's just.." I began.

"That we're on opposite sides of the country? Yeah, we get it." Hanna retorted.

"Han." Spencer scolded.

Toby, Caleb, and Ezra approached behind the girls.

I looked around at the airport.

"So this is it." Aria sighed.

"We really have to wait till Em's birthday." Hanna groaned.

"It'll be here before you know it." Caleb assured them.

"We'll miss you." Spencer sighed.

"I'll miss you too." I sobbed.

I went up to Ezra, Caleb, and Toby.

I gave each of them individual hugs.

I whispered in Ezra's ear, "Take care of Aria. I know you'll find a great job."

"Thank you Emily." He said, wrapping his arms around my back.

I squeezed his hand, and moved onto Caleb.

"Bye Caleb, I'll see you soon." I whispered.

"Good luck at Stanford." He whispered.

I nodded, and moved onto Toby.

A few tears fell from Toby's face.

"I'll miss you the most." I whispered.

He chuckled, and I wrapped my arms around him.

"Bye Em." He replied.

I headed over to Spence.

"Em." Spence blurted.

"I'll miss you Spence. Good luck at UPenn, I know you'll do great." I cooed.

"Thanks Em, I love you." She nodded.

"Love you too." I whispered, giving her one final hug.

I moved onto Aria next.

"Aria. Good luck at NYU, I know you and Ezra have great things ahead of you." I told her.

"Thanks Em, take care of Ali." She replied.

I nodded, and gave her one final hug.

I moved onto Hanna last.

"Em!" Hanna sobbed.

"Oh Han." I murmured.

"I'm gonna miss you." She whispered.

"I know you are." I chuckled.

"You're gonna do great at the fashion institute, I know it." I told her with a squeeze of her hand.

"Thank you." She whispered.

I hugged Hanna one final time, and looked at Ali.

"Ready?" She asked.

I nodded.

The intercom blared, "Now boarding Flight 346 to Palo Alto, California."

I looked at Ali, and squeezed her hand.

"Wait!" Hanna cried.

We spun around.

"Make sure to send me pics of your dorm room!" She smirked.

I laughed and called, "We will!"

I grabbed Ali's hand, and we ran with our suitcases to our section.

Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't look back.

I turned around to see the girls standing there, and waved.

They waved back, and Ali pulled me towards the desk.

I handed the woman my passport, and I looked behind me to see my parents.

Wayne and Pam had insisted on coming to help us unpack, and were even paying for some of our suitcases.

"Ready?" Pam asked me.

I nodded, and walked up towards the plane.

I stepped over the crack, and smiled at the flight attendant on the way to my seat.

I sat down next to Ali, and before I knew it, we took off.

She held my hand, and we stayed like that throughout our flight.

Once we landed, I texted the girls in a group chat 'Just landed.'

I stood up and grabbed our carry ons, and passed Ali's to her.

I thanked the flight attendants and pilot, and headed out to the airport's main area.

Ali and I pulled over to wait for my parents, and we headed to pick up our luggage then the rental car.

"Which way do we go?" Pam asked.

I pointed upwards towards the sign that read, "Baggage Claim."

We followed the airport's signs, and headed to the baggage claim.

We waited patiently as people grabbed their luggage, and stood by the belt, waiting for ours to spill out.

"This is taking too long." Pam complained.

"Be patient." I half scolded her.

My dad grabbed our four suitcases, while Ali and I lugged our carry ons, and one additional suitcase.

We headed towards the rental car place.

My dad had rented us a van, so we would have extra luggage room.

Once we got the van, I helped my dad load the luggage into the van, while my mom got in the passenger seat, and Ali got into the car's middle section.

Once we were done, I closed the trunk, and hopped in beside Ali.

"Are you ready for college?" My mom squealed.

I nodded.

The drive from the airport to the college was four minutes, but we needed the rental car. The rental car was to drive to Disneyland, which we would do the weekend after our first week of college. We pulled into Stanford's parking lot, and I grinned. My dad parked the car, and I hopped out, lugging luggage with Ali. Once we got to the university's lounge, I found the Check In desk.

"Hi!" The middle aged woman greeted.

"Hi." I returned.

"Welcome to Stanford, what is your name?" She asked.

"Emily Fields and Alison DiLaurentis." I answered.

She looked down at a clipboard, "Ahh, you're in room 243."

She passed us two keys.

"Don't lose these girls." She told us.

"Welcome to Stanford." She repeated with a small wave.

I was annoyed at the woman, so I didn't bother to ask for directions.

I pulled over with Ali and my parents, and we all looked at the map.

"Alright, so it looks like your dorm is across the way, and on the second floor." My dad realized.

I sighed, and we all headed out of the building.

We walked across the parking lot and into the dorm building.

I pressed the up button on the elevator, and we waited.

The elevator doors opened, and we entered it.

Once we were on the second floor, I followed the signs that said "Rooms 210-220", "230-240", and "240-250".

Once we arrived at 243, I pulled out my key, and opened the door.

The room was not too small, but not huge.

There was a small desk in the center of the room, some shelves attached to the wall, and two beds on opposite sides of the room. We entered the room, and I set my luggage down on one side of the room. There were boxes scattered across the floor that read, "DiLaurentis" and "Fields".

"Well, we'll go check into the hotel, and give you some time to unpack. We'll pick you up for dinner." My dad told us.

Ali and I nodded as my parents exchanged a glance, and headed out the door.

Once they shut the door, I squealed, "We're finally here!"

"College!" Ali exclaimed.

We exchanged a high five, and I started to gather our boxes.

I looked at the wall color, "It's blue."

"Yeah, at least it isn't pink." Ali agreed.

"It'll work." I agreed.

I grabbed out a green rug from one of the boxes, and lay it in the center of the room.

"Where should we put the pictures?" Ali asked.

"One sec." I replied.

I searched through the boxes, and grabbed out picture frames.

"We can put them on the shelves." I suggested.

Ali nodded.

I passed her the frames, and Ali started to put the pictures in the frames.

I went into more boxes, and grabbed out the bedding that Ali and I brought.

I passed Ali one of the boxes full of her bedding, and started to make my bed.

My headboard was covered in throw pillows, and I had successfully made my bed within 10 minutes.

I looked over to see Ali begin to make her bed.

I grabbed her blankets from her.

"Here, I'll do it. " I insisted.

Before she could protest, I pointed to all of the other boxes we still had to unload.

I finished Ali's bed quickly and looked over to see her holding up two letters.

I walked over to see "A" and "E".

"We can put these on the door!" Ali exclaimed.

"Perfect." I grinned.

I reached into the box and grabbed the little '&amp;' sign to complete the door with 'A&amp;E.'

Once Ali had nailed them into the door, I examined it closely.

"I love it!" I gushed.

Ali grinned, and we headed back inside the room.

By the time Ali and I had got most of the room ready, I got a call.

I looked to see that it was a facetime call from Hanna, and showed Ali the screen. Ali smirked, and I answered the call.

"Hey Han!" I exclaimed.

"Well?" Hanna demanded.

I flipped the camera, and walked around the room to show Hanna.

"Gorgeous." Hanna complimented.

"Thank you!" Ali exclaimed.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Em helped too." Ali assured Hanna.

"More like did all of it." I scoffed.

Ali gave me a glare, and I looked back at the phone.

Ali got a call on her phone, and saw that it was Pam; my mom.

"Han, we've gotta go. My parents are taking us out to dinner." I told her.

"Okay." She pouted.

"I'll call you later." I promised her and ended the call.

Ali put Pam on speaker.

"Hello Alison." My mom greeted.

"Hey Pam." Ali said.

"Hey Mom." I added.

"We're outside." Pam said.

"Okay." We chorused.

"We'll be right out." I told her, and Ali hung up.

I grabbed my purse, and passed Ali hers.

I locked the dorm room behind me, and Ali and I headed outside.

We saw the van waiting in the fire lane, and hopped into the middle row.

"Hello girls." My father greeted.

"What took you so long to answer my call?" Pam snapped.

"Hanna wanted to see the dorm room." I replied, annoyed at my mother's annoyance.

"Of course!" She exclaimed with an eye roll.

"Calm down Mom." I scolded.

My dad squeezed my mom's hand, and we drove in silence to the restaurant.

My parents pulled up to a steakhouse, and we hopped out of the car.

"Hi, we have reservations for Fields please." My mom told the hostess.

"Alright, follow me this way." She replied.

The hostess led us to a booth for four.

Ali and I sat across from my parents.

The hostess passed us menus, and stalked off back to the front.

A waitress approached us and grinned.

"Hello, welcome. What would you like to drink today?" She asked.

"Four Diet Cokes all around. " My dad ordered.

The waitress stalked off, and I focused my attention to my parents,

"How did you do with setting up your room?" My mom asked.

"Good. We managed to make our beds, lay out rugs, put up photos, and decorate our door." Ali told her.

"That's great!" She beamed.

"Yeah, we're really excited." I added.

"We still have a lot to set up." Ali pointed out.

"Have you met anyone in your dorm?" My dad asked.

"Not yet." Ali replied.

"We're planning on it though." Ali added, and I nodded in agreement.

I looked down at the menu, and realized, "Wow. This is expensive."

"Don't worry about it." My mom assured us.

"Pam this is seriously a lot-" Ali started.

"It's okay Alison." My dad assured her.

Ali and I exchanged a look and buried ourselves in our menus.

The waitress came back with our drinks and asked, "What would you like as your entree?"

"I'll have a 8 ounce steak." I started.

"How would you like that cooked?" The waitress asked.

"Medium rare." I finished, closing my menu.

"And you?" The waitress asked, gesturing to Ali.

"I'll have the 8 ounce steak as well, medium rare." Ali ordered, passing me her menu.

My parents both ordered 11 ounce steaks, and I passed my dad our menus.

"Thank you so much for dinner Pam and Wayne." Ali gushed.

"It was no problem Alison, you're both going to college, it's a huge milestone." My mom replied.

"Yeah, college is huge." My dad agreed.

The dinner went by in a blur. The steaks were great, and soon enough; Ali and I were alone in our dorm.

I lay down on my bed, and Ali lay on hers.

"What's the game plan tomorrow?" I asked her.

"We should explore campus, make some friends." Ali suggested.

"We should finish unpacking too." I added.

"True." Ali agreed.

Soon enough, I found myself drifting off into slumber.

The next morning, I woke up at 7 am.

I turned around to see Ali laying down on her bed, texting.

"Good morning." Ali greeted, approaching me.

I recieved a quick peck on the cheek, "Good morning to you too."

I sat up from my bed, and dug into one of my suitcases to find an outfit.

Ali did the same, and we quickly got dressed.

We grabbed our toiletries bags.

"Do you think there's anyone else on campus?" Ali asked.

"Of course! School starts tomorrow after all." I replied, locking our door behind us. We headed down the hall to the girls restroom, and began to brush our teeth.

A girl took a sink next to me, and I finished brushing my teeth.

I moved onto my hair and started to spray product in my hair.

I faced the girl, and noticed that she was staring at me.

"Hi, I'm Emily." I greeted.

"Jacqueline." She stated.

"Why were you staring at her?" Ali asked Jacqueline.

"She got hairspray in my eye." Jacqueline snapped.

Before Ali could say anything else, our eyes met, and I gave her a look.

We continued to get ready, and stalked out of the bathroom, leaving Jacqueline.

We headed back to our room, and once I shut the door, Ali began to talk.

"She was so rude!" Ali exclaimed.

"It's college Ali, we're gonna meet rude people." I pointed out.

"I know it's just, I didn't like the way she was treating you." Ali sighed.

I packed up my toiletries bag, and played with Ali's blonde curls.

"I know, thank you. I didn't want you to get in a catfight before we start classes." I responded.

Ali nodded, and I squeezed her hand.

"Ready to explore campus?" I asked her.

Ali nodded, and we shut the door behind us.

We headed down the stairs, and checked out the dorm's main floor.

We followed the signs that said 'Lounge' and shortly found a large space.

There was a huge room with bean bags sprawled across the floor, couches, and a series of chairs. There was a wall of vending machines, and a bunch of students were already in the room.

"Cool." Ali and I chorused.

I started to advance towards the main hall, but Ali grabbed my wrist.

"New people." Ali reminded me.

Ali led me to the main lounge, where there were tons of people.

A group of nice looking girls sat down in a circle, and Ali led me there.

"Hey girls, I'm Alison. This is Emily." Ali introduced us.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Veronica, this is Sam, that's Lily, and this is Angel." She replied, gesturing to her group.

"Likewise." I replied.

"Hi!" I added.

"You guys are freshman right?" Ali asked.

They nodded.

"Us too." Ali added.

"Awesome!" One of the girls- Lily, I think, exclaimed.

"When did you guys get here?" I asked.

"I got here late last night. Sam and I have been best friends forever, and we both got accepted here. Plus, Veronica's my roommate. Lily is Sam's roommate." Angel explained.

"That's great." Ali gushed.

"How about you guys?" Sam asked.

"We got here in the afternoon yesterday." I replied.

"Cool, sit down." Veronica told us.

The circle expanded and made room for us.

"So where are you from?" Lily asked.

Ali and I exchanged a look.

"Texas." I blurted.

"Awesome." Lily replied.

"What are you studying?" Ali asked everyone.

"Well, I'm here because Stanford has a great swim team." Sam began.

"Veronica and I are in business." Angel added.

"I'm pre-med." Lily finished.

Before they could ask us our majors, I asked, "What floor are you guys on?"

"The second, we're 241 and 242." Veronica answered.

"No way! We're 243!" Ali exclaimed.

"That's a huge coincidence." Angel agreed.

"Well, we're just exploring campus, I guess we'll see you guys around?" I summed things up.

The girls nodded eagerly, and I looked at Ali.

Ali went around and got their numbers, and we stalked off.

"They were nice." Ali told me once we were out of their earshots.

"Yeah they were." I agreed.

I figured that Sam and I would hit it off, considering she loves to swim.

"We'll probably run into them again." I added.

"Most likely." Ali agreed.

We headed out of the dorm building, and I pulled over to the directory.

"There's a gym over there." I said, pointing towards the gym.

"We my as well get memberships." Ali agreed.

We walked towards the gym, and headed to the front desk.

"Hello, we're looking to sign up for gym memberships." I introduced.

"Do you go to Stanford University?" The woman at the front desk asked.

"Yes." We chorused.

"Well, you get a discount." She realized.

The woman reached into her desk, and pulled out two forms and two clipboards.

Ali and I sat down, and filled out the forms.

Once we were finished, we handed them back to the woman.

She gave us two little cards, and I put it on my student lanyard.

"Do you mind if we have a look around?" I asked her.

"Not at all. "The woman said.

We walked through the gym door to see a row of treadmills, elliptical machines, weights, and other things.

The gym was huge.

"Woah!" I exclaimed.

"It's so big." Ali stated.

I nodded in agreement, "It's perfect."

Once we were done, I gave the woman at the front desk a small wave, and we headed back outside.

"Do you want to stop by the mall?" Ali asked me.

I nodded, "We need hangers."

We walked across campus to the mall.

"It's huge!" I exclaimed.

"It's extremely convenient." Ali gushed.

"Urban probably has some cool dorm stuff, lets stop by there." I pointed out.

Ali nodded, as we walked into Urban Outfitters.

We headed to the Apartment section, and there was a deal for two shelves for $40.

"Hey Ali!" I called.

Ali walked over, and I showed her the shelves.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed.

Ali had showed me two packs of hangers she found, and I smiled.

I picked up some pens, pencils, notebooks, along with some decorated clothes pins for hanging pictures.

Ali had grabbed a small basket, and I placed all of the items into it. I saw that Ali had picked up tape and other things as well. We headed to the cash register, and purchased our items.

We walked out of Urban and headed to Starbucks.

Ali and I both ordered Caramel Flan Lattes, our favorite.

I asked the barista an additional question.

"Hi, I go to Stanford University. Is there any way that I could work here part time?" I asked her.

"Sure!" She exclaimed, and told me where to find it.

I thanked her, and Ali and I drank our lattes while walking around the mall.

"Anything else?" I asked Ali.

She shook her head no.

I pulled out my phone to see that it was 12:30.

"Let's get some lunch." I told her.

I pulled out my phone and called my mom.

"Hey, we're at the Stanford Mall. Can you come pick us up? There's an In-N-Out really close and we want to get lunch." I started.

"Sure Emmy, we're on our way." My mom replied.

"Thanks, we'll be waiting outside the dorm." I told her.

I hung up the phone, and looked at Ali.

"In-N-Out!" She squealed.

I rolled my eyes, and told her, "We've gotta get back to the dorm, like now."

She nodded, and we quickly exited the door and headed back to the dorm building. We took the elevator back up to our room, and we put our bags down on the bed.

"Hurry!" I exclaimed, grabbing Ali's hand.

Ali and I rushed outside, and my parents' car pulled up.

We hopped in the car, and drove to In-N-Out.

Ali and I both got cheeseburgers with vanilla shakes.

My mom and dad had already eaten, and watched us feast on our food.

"We went to Urban Outfitters, and bought more shelves and stationary things." I told them.

"Good." My mom stated.

"Emily might have a job at Starbucks." Ali boasted.

"No way!" My parents exclaimed.

My face turned red, and I looked at my parents.

"That's great Emmy!" My mom exclaimed.

"You need to support yourself when you're in college." My dad added.

"I still have to apply for the job." I pointed out.

"You'll get it." Ali insisted.

I decided to change the subject, "So we ran into our neighbors this morning."

"Oh, really?" My dad asked.

Ali nodded, "They were really nice girls."

"That's great!" My dad exclaimed.

"Emmy I'm so proud. You went from making friends to getting a job in one day!" My mom beamed.

"It isn't that huge-" I began to protest.

"Please Emmy, it's great news!" My dad exclaimed.

"We got a gym membership too!" Ali exclaimed.

I nodded.

"That's fabulous!" My mom exclaimed.

I snorted, earning a nudge from Ali.

"Fabulous?" I chuckled.

"Your mother is expanding her vocabulary." My dad stated.

"I'm trying to be hip, you know?" My mom asked with a wink.

I buried my face in my hands, and my parents began to chuckle.

"Oh lord." I whispered.

End of Flashback

I moved onto the next picture of Ali, my parents, and I at Disneyland.

Flashback

I was so stoked that my first week of college was officially over. As soon as Ali and I got out of class on Friday, we met my parents at our dorms, and drove to the airport.

"Disney! Disney! Disney!" I chanted.

"Someones excited." Ali chuckled.

"I've always wanted to go to Disneyland." I gushed.

"Well here we are, going to Disneyland." Ali murmured.

"That's right!" Wayne exclaimed.

My parents parked the rental car in the airport parking lot, and we headed out with our luggage. We had decided that flying would be easier than driving, the flight was less than 2 hours, whereas the car ride would be six.

Once our flight took off, I plugged in my headphones.

I listened to music during our short flight, and soon enough it was over.

Once we landed, we headed to the baggage claim, and took a bus to the Disneyland Hotel.

We got one room for all four of us, and unloaded our stuff there.

Once we were all dressed and sunblocked, we raced down the stairs and caught the bus.

Once our tickets were checked, we went on the California Screamin' ride. Luckily, my parents loved roller coasters. Ali and I sat next to each other in the middle of the coaster, and my parents sat behind us. When the coaster started moving, Ali and I laced our hands in each others. I pulled out my camera, and took a quick Polaroid. We started off so slow and I was quite disappointed. Then the pace spud up, and we started going faster. We shot upwards on the coaster, through a tube like thing. We went down quickly, and the screams begun. Ali held onto my hand and squeezed it harder, as we came across a curve. We curved up to the top, and stayed at the top for a while. The coaster began to curve quickly.

We tilted back and forth, and a laugh escaped my mouth. I absolutely love roller coasters. A major curve occurred, and we shot upwards yet again. The climb up was slow and steady, and I held on tightly, as it fell like we could fall down. Slowly we climbed up. Then we reached the top and Ali cried, "Oh no!" We went down fast, and through the curves even faster. The curve the second time around upwards was crazy, and we had a major fast climb straight upwards. It continued like that for the rest of the ride, which had to be only 2 minutes.

Once we safely got off, I exclaimed, "Woah!"

"That was fun. " Wayne agreed.

"Yeah." Ali let out a smile.

We went on Splash Mountain next.

We slowly climbed up the belt and began the ride.

I looked out with Ali at the beautiful sight known as Disneyland.

However, we took another curve and headed up another belt.

There were these red-pink, curvy walls around us.

We took more and more curves, and watched the family in front of us.

We went inside of the actual structure soon enough, where there were these animations.

By the time the ride ended, Ali and I were soaked.

We headed out and dried off our clothes.

We found the Candy Palace, where Ali and I fed each other chocolate covered strawberries.

End of Flashback


	13. Chapter 13

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

By the time the ride ended, Ali and I were soaked.

We headed out and dried off our clothes.

We found the Candy Palace, where Ali and I fed each other chocolate covered strawberries.

End of Flashback

Ch 13: Hanna's Birthday

Hanna POV:

I woke up on a familiar March morning. It was March 6th, 2025; my birthday. I am 29 years old today. I feel so old.

I opened my eyes and turned around on the bed.

Caleb and Bella were leaning over the bed, and I opened my eyes.

"What?" I asked with a yawn.

"Happy Birthday babe!" Caleb exclaimed with a grin.

Bella blurted her best "Happy Birthday Mama," that she could, and I burst into laughter.

I sat up, and kissed Bella on her forehead.

Caleb pouted, and I gave him a kiss as well.

"I didn't forget about you." I promised.

He laughed.

I noticed that Caleb was holding a tray with a plate of bacon, eggs, toast, and waffles. There was a cup of orange juice waiting for me on the bedside table as well.

"Thank you babe." I told him.

"Your welcome princess." He grinned.

I dug into my food, and asked, "How long were you standing there?"

He shrugged, "30 minutes."

"Woah, you could've just left a note!" I exclaimed.

"It's your birthday though, I wanted to see you wake up." He protested.

I nodded, and finished the rest of my food.

"Thank you again for breakfast." I told him.

Caleb nodded.

"Momma get present now?" Bella asked, looking up at Caleb.

"Alright sweetheart." Caleb grinned, scooping up Bella.

I couldn't help but grin as well. Caleb is such a great father. He always is willing to play with Bella and truly loves her. I couldn't ask for a better man to help raise her. I rose from the bed, looking at Caleb.

"Coming?" He asked.

I nodded, and followed Caleb out the door.

"We have some rules though." Caleb started.

I pouted, "What rules?"

Caleb picked up a blindfold, and tied it around my eyes.

"Rule number one." He murmured.

"Rule number two is simple… no peeking." He added.

"I can feel you smirking. " I scolded him.

"But you can't see me." He pointed out.

I sighed and held my hand out.

I felt Caleb's hand grab mine, and I wobbled down the stairs.

"Caleb!" I whined.

I could hear Bella laughing and I rolled my eyes.

"Caleb! I wanna take my blindfold off!" I whined.

I felt something rub against my hand.

"Caleb stop! It tickles!" I screamed.

I heard a series of laughter from around the room.

"Thats it! I'm taking this off!" I scolded.

Once I took my blindfold off, I saw Ashley, Ted, the girls, Ezra, Toby, and Claudia sitting on the couches. Sarah, Jonathan, and Mikey were there as well.

"Hi everyone!" I exclaimed.

I ran over to give everyone a hug, but felt an obstacle in my way.

I looked down to see a Yorkshire Terrier dog in front of my feet.

"Oh my god! Caleb!" I squealed.

I bent down and scooped up the small dog.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squealed.

I ran over to the girls and enveloped them in a hug. Ezra and Toby gave me a hug as well. I moved onto Ashley and Ted, and I held onto Claudia the longest.

"Sweet, sweet Hanna." She cooed.

"I've missed you Claudia!" I exclaimed, pulling away from the hug.

Her eyes found mine, "I've missed you too."

"Grandma!" Bella exclaimed.

Claudia bent down, and gave Bella a small hug.

"How's my favorite granddaughter?" Claudia asked.

"She's your only granddaughter." Caleb teased with a smirk.

Claudia gave Caleb a playful nudge, and he chuckled.

"As of right now she's my only granddaughter." Claudia smirked in return.

Caleb raised his eyebrow at me, and I looked away.

"So what do you all have planned for me today?" I asked the group.

"You'll have to see." Caleb stated.

"Aww come on! Just one little hint!" I begged.

"Sorry Han, we've been forced to keep our mouths shut." Aria shrugged.

"Mom?" I asked.

Ashley raised an eyebrow, and I moved towards Claudia.

Claudia smiled and said, "Sweet Hanna. You'll have to wait."

I sighed, and noticed that my new dog was at my feet.

I scooped him or her up into my arms, and looked at it.

"Is it a he or she?" I asked Caleb.

"It's a she." He told me.

"Hello there Zoe!" I cooed.

"That's her name?" Caleb asked.

I nodded and buried Zoe in kisses.

Caleb came over and announced, "Well in that case; welcome to the family Zoe."

Zoe hopped out of my arms, and Bella yelled, "Doggie!"

Zoe gave Bella loads of kisses, and all of the kids squealed.

"Well birthday girl, we're going on a ride." Caleb told me.

"I have to get changed-be right back!" I squealed and ran upstairs.

"Hanna wait!" Caleb called.

I spun around and crossed my arms.

"What?" I sighed.

"Wear something not too nice, but not too casual." He grinned.

I looked down to see the girls dressed in casual clothing, so I decided to pick out something cute and casual.

Once I came downstairs, everyone was waiting.

"Ready princess?" He asked.

I nodded eagerly.

"Okay, so around the town are secret; hidden messages. Each message is from one of the people here. Well they are more like reasons why we love you, letters, and reasons. Everyone here knows where to find them, and will take you to each location sometime today. You can't ask for help, though we will supervise you as you look for your messages." He explained.

"Are the messages presents?" I asked.

"No, though they are somewhat a small part of my present. I got you much more for your birthday." He assured with a smile.

I nodded, "So when do we start?"

"Now!" He exclaimed.

"Of course, I have the honor of taking you to the first location." He said with a small bow.

I chuckled quietly, "What is everyone else gonna do?"

"Wait here until it's their turn." He replied.

I waved goodbye to everyone as Caleb pulled me away by his wrist.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I hopped into the passenger seat.

"You'll see." Caleb shrugged while shutting the door to the car.

I waited as he went around the car and he hopped into his seat.

I watched every single thing we passed on our way to our destination.

I looked at each and every house, Rosewood PD, The Brew, The Grille, The Church, Country Club, Mall, etc.

"We passed like every place in Rosewood!" I exclaimed.

"Not every place." Caleb said, making a left turn.

Caleb pulled up to Rosewood High, and took my hand.

"It's a Thursday Caleb, the kids have school!" I exclaimed.

"I know." He murmured.

Caleb led me inside the familiar Rosewood High halls, and surprisingly, no one was there.

"Teachers conferences." He explained.

We headed down the halls to my familiar locker.

There was no lock on the locker, and Caleb looked at me.

I was about to ask 'What?', but I sighed and opened the locker.

A heart shaped letter letter lay in the locker, and I pulled it out of the locker.

A huge smile was placed on my face, as I sagged to the floor, and Caleb joined me.

I looked at him, and blushed slightly.

"Go on, read it!" He urged.

I fixated my eyes on Caleb's letter and it went as follows:

Hanna Rivers,

I am incapable of writing just one reason why I love you Hanna Rivers. I have thousands. Hanna you deserve a thousand reasons why I love you and deserve an amazing birthday, but I refuse to give just one. I refuse to give one thing that I love about you. Hanna, I love the way that your eyes can tell a story. No matter what is going on, I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Your eyes are beautiful blue souls that just keep you staring. I love that you are a great mother. Bella loves you, and you're always there to make her happy. She couldn't possibly have a better mother than you. I love when you have your 'blonde moments' and just shake it off, and don't let it bother you. You're strong Hanna, you have so much strength that no one will ever know. Hanna, in high school, people judged. People may have labeled you as the 'dumb one.' Hanna if anything, you aren't dumb. You are so smart, you're on the same level as Melissa, Spencer, Jenna, and Mona. Those four are pretty intelligent Hanna, and you have the capability of being on that level; you are on that level. Hanna Rivers, you are such a great person. You provide confidence to teens in our town, the confidence that no one ever had as we were growing up. You tell them that dress size doesn't matter. I love that you make a difference. You stand up for what you believe in Hanna. I knew, again by looking your eyes, how passionate you were when Fabulous was opened. Whenever you give teens fashion tips, I know how happy it makes them. Hanna you are an amazing friend! You're always loyal to Spencer, Alison, Emily, and Aria. You always have been loyal to them. Without you, the girls wouldn't be who they are today. I love how great you treat your friends. I love how much you care for Ashley and Ted. You always support Ashley, and sometimes support the two of you. Again, you're the strongest person. Your mother daughter bond is like no other. You love your mom Hanna, and Ashley does too. You provided Ashley with just what she needed when you were in high school. You support Ted, despite the idea of being so protective of your mom. Seeing your mom happy, makes you happy, which makes me happy. It's a never ending domino effect. Hanna Rivers, you are perfect in every single way, and I love you.

Love,

Caleb

Tears welled in my eyes, as I took my eyes off of the note.

"Thank you babe." I whispered.

"Your welcome princess." He said, wiping the tears from my eyes.

He stood up, and stretched his arm out to mine.

I grabbed his hand, and pulled myself up.

We walked out of Rosewood High, and hopped back into our car.

"Is everyone's going to be like this?" I asked him.

"Going to be like what?" He asked, taking his eyes from the road to my face momentarily.

"The first place that each person and I met." I answered.

"You'll have to see." Caleb shrugged.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

I took it out and saw a text from Emily that read: I'm next.

I looked at Caleb, "We aren't going home are we?"

"Nope." He smirked.

I am very eager to see where Caleb leads me, and I'm trying my best to stay patient.

We drove into the neighborhoods where I grew up.

We drove down Serenity Lane and I realized where we were going.

"Emily's house." I whispered.

Caleb nodded.

After Emily graduated from college, the Fields' sold their home, and moved to Texas.

When Emily came back to Rosewood, she stayed in hotels, and sometimes our current residences at the time. I wasn't quite sure if people were still in Em's home, but we were headed there anyways.

Caleb pulled up to a small beige home, 46 Serenity Lane; Emily's childhood home.

There were no cars who were in the driveway, and no lights were on in the home.

"Does anyone live here?" I asked Caleb.

"No. " He replied.

I looked at the door, where Emily stood with a set of keys.

She jingled them in the air playfully, and waved towards Caleb.

"Wait, you're leaving?" I asked him.

He nodded, and drove away.

Emily opened the door to her childhood home, and we stepped inside.

"Wow!" She gasped.

The home was full of furniture. There was a dining room table, couches, kitchen, cabinets, the whole deal. I wonder if someone was interested in the house.

Emily read my thoughts, "They're bringing in people to look at the house later this week."

I nodded, and tilted my head, "So are you going to give me my letter or..?"

"You have to search for your reason, or letter." She answered.

I groaned, and stalked up the stairs.

My first initial thought was to go to Emily's room. I spent the most time there, especially on the window seat. I crawled around Emily's childhood room, and admired the window seat. Sheets were draped over the seat, and I lifted them up. I crawled under the seat's structure, and surely enough found a bote under the seat. I smiled and sat down on the window seat. Before I read to the letter, I realized, maybe I am as smart as Spencer and Melissa. I shrugged and looked down at the note.

10 Reasons Why You're An Amazing Best Friend:

1: You always are there to look out for me, and protect me.

2: You don't let anyone stand in your way.

3: You know how to make a bad day humorous.

4: You aren't ashamed to walk in 5 inch heels.

5: You're the strongest person I know, and can hold the girls and I together.

6: You're honest with me.

7: You know how to make me feel better on my worst days.

8: You have a great smile and laugh; it's contagious!

9: You're always at my side as soon as an SOS message is sent.

10: You are never afraid to put people in their place.

Hanna, there are more than 10 reasons why you're an amazing best friend, but I know how much you hate reading. I love you so much, have a great 29th.

-Em.

I looked up from the note and smiled.

Em peered through the doorway, and smiled, "You found the note."

I nodded , stood up, and wrapped my arms around her.

"Thanks Em. I love how you considered my dislike towards reading, Caleb made me read a big ass letter. " I told her.

I began to laugh, and Em laughed with me.

"I missed your house." I told her.

She nodded, "Me too."

I could tell that she felt upset being in her old childhood home, so I assured her, "I'm sure a great family will bring the life back to this house. They'll bring great cooking, not as great as the Fields' though, and family movie nights."

She nodded, "I know. I'll miss it."

She joined me on the window seat.

Em looked around her old room, and down at the seat's fabric.

She spoke, "I almost came out of the closet here."

"Seriously?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yeah. I told my mom that I thought something was wrong with me, and I almost told her that I was gay."

"Wow Em." I blurted.

"That's crazy." I added.

"I know, I was so confused, I had to tell someone." She agreed.

Em ran her fingers through her hair.

"Hey Em, it's okay, you did it. You're married to Ali and have a beautiful girl." I assured her.

"I know, I just get the same vibe from this seat that I did that night." She sighed.

I lifted her chin up.

"Em, I'm not your mom. I'm not going to judge you, I never did." I told her.

She nodded.

I took her hand in mine and we headed down the stairs.

Em looked at me, and I nodded.

Em took one last look at her old childhood home, and we locked the door behind us.

Once we walked out, Aria was waiting in the driveway in her car.

"I'm next." She told me and I nodded.

I waved goodbye to Em, who still sat on her childhood home's porch, and climbed into Aria's passenger seat.

"Hey Aria!" I greeted.

"Hey Han. " She replied with a grin.

"So where are you taking me?" I asked.

"Your childhood home." Aria answered.

"Thank you." I murmured.

"For what?" She asked.

"Telling me where you're taking me. It's been exhausting not finding out till I get there. I mean birthdays aren't all about surprises you know!" I groaned/

Aria began to chuckle, and I crossed my arms.

"Not funny!" I exclaimed.

"Come on Han, you know it is!" She laughed.

"Okay." I admitted, and joined in with her.

"This is the best birthday ever." I whispered.

"I'm glad." Aria smiled.

"So did you read Caleb's bulky love letter?" Aria asked.

I nodded, "It was so sweet."

"Aw, I wish Ez would write me one." Aria sighed.

"Come on Aria, Ezra would write a whole book about you!" I exclaimed.

"He already has used some of your traits in his novels." I pointed out.

"True." She agreed.

Aria tilted her head, "Wait.. how do you know he used me in his novels?"

"I thought you hated reading." She added.

"I do, but I basically had to read them." I shrugged.

"True, Ezra and I would bug you forever!" She exclaimed.

"Exactly why I read it." I finished.

Aria shook her head, and focused on our destination.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, as we pulled up to my old home.

Again, no one seemed to be present at the home.

Aria passed me a small key, and I entered my familiar childhood home.

The whole house was empty except for a table in front of the door that leads to my backyard. Two chairs were set up, and Aria gestured to one of the chairs. I sat down and Aria did as well.

"Where's your reason?" I asked.

"Here." She said, pointing to herself.

I tilted my head, and Aria began to speak.

"Han, I believe that instead of writing down something, it means more to have someone say it to you. So here it goes." She began.

"Hanna Rivers. I love you Han. Whenever we feel down, you pick us right up. As you once said, 'Fool me once, shame on me. Fool my best friend, you're freakin' dead meat.' -Hanna Rivers." She paused.

"Thank you for giving me credit." I interrupted, and gestured for her to continue.

"Anyways, you have a great laugh Han. It makes me laugh too. Whenever we're in a situation and you have one of your moments, it may seem annoying, but it's a part of you Han. Without you, we wouldn't have standed up to some of the assholes we saw in high school. Without you, we wouldn't have the same dresses for dances and proms. I mean come on Han, your fashion sense is queen. Hanna, you are an amazing best friend. Our -A situations wouldn't be the same, experiences in high school, and college experiences. I loved getting to explore New York with you. I'm so glad we get to go through chapter after chapter of our lives together, us five. Thank you Hanna for being supportive throughout my life. I love you so much and you deserve the best birthday." She finished.

I gave Aria a huge hug, "Thank you."

She nodded, and my phone interrupted our moment.

"Who's it from?" Aria asked.

"Wouldn't you know, you're in on this too?" I asked.

"Actually, I only know that Caleb and Em went before me, I don't know who comes after." She answered, looking at my phone screen.

"Ah, Spence." She realized.

I nodded.

"I'll give you a ride, where are you going?" Aria suggested.

"The Brew, I have a coffee date with Spence." I told her.

Aria nodded, and we locked the door behind us as we got into her car.

"Man, over 29 places in one day is gonna be exhausting!" I exclaimed.

Aria nodded, "Tell me about it."

She added, "Caleb really set up a huge production for you."

"I know, it's really sweet." I murmured.

"He's a great guy Han." Aria agreed.

"I know, that's part of why I married him." I chuckled.

"Well, duh! Why would you marry him if he wasn't great?" Aria remarked.

"Good point." I nodded.

"Caleb, Ezra, and Toby should go on a guy date sometime." I suggested.

"A guy date?" Aria asked and burst into laughter.

I sighed, "You know what I mean."

"What kind of guy date?" Aria asked.

"I don't know, I mean- that's up to them." I shrugged.

"Maybe they could go to a bar." Aria suggested.

"No. A football or hockey game." I summed it up.

"Alright, agreed." Aria nodded.

"We should let Spencer know that her husband will be attending a guy date." I concluded.

"Whatever you say Han." Aria agreed.

"It's my birthday, so they have to agree if I ask them today!" I exclaimed.

"It's not like they hate each other Han, I'm sure they would like spending time together." Aria pointed out.

"I know, but they haven't arranged one before." I replied.

"They're capable of arranging it themselves." Aria murmured.

"I know." I nodded.

Aria pulled up in front of The Brew, and I got out.

I stood in front of the car door, and Aria rolled down the window.

She tilted her head at me, wondering why I was still there.

"Thanks again Aria." I began.

"Anytime Han." She returned with a smile.

I waved as Aria drove off.

I headed inside The Brew, and saw Spence sitting down at a table.

Before the barista could ask me if I would like to order a drink, she noticed I was waving to Spence, and let me proceed.

"Hello birthday girl." Spence greeted as I sat down at the table.

"Hey Spence." I returned, sitting down.

Spencer had two cups of coffee on her end, and she passed me one.

I nodded my thanks and took a sip of my coffee.

As I twirled the coffee cup in my hands, I saw the words A Reason: You're never afraid to stand up for yourself on the cup. I smiled.

"Nicely done Spence." I complimented.

"Points for creativity." I added.

"Thank you very much." She responded with a small curtsy.

I looked around The Brew.

It was so much more different than it had been many years ago.

There was still a coffee machine, and the cash register, and the place to order. But there were many more baristas, and the tables now had were no more couches with a coffee table in front of them to lounge Brew got a lot of business, and they didn't want people to relax. They would lose customer space. It's sad to see the place change, but man I love their coffee.

Spencer read my thoughts,"It's so different."

I nodded, "I know."

"I miss it." She whispered.

I nodded in agreement, as I looked outside to see Ali waving her arms.

"Gotta go Spence." I told her.

Spencer nodded as I headed outside The Brew to Ali.

"Hey birthday girl!" She exclaimed.

"Hop in!" She added.

I hopped into her car, and we drove off.

"Someones happy." I pointed out.

"It's going to be a great day!" Ali gushed.

"You seem more excited than me." I chuckled.

"You will be, trust me." Ali said and squeezed my hand.

"Okay." I murmured.

I looked out the window as we passed The Brew, and other buildings.

I looked over at Ali, who still had a huge grin on her face.

Her blonde curls rested beneath her shoulders perfectly, and her eyes shone in the light. It made me think of many years ago, when I wanted to be Ali. I wanted a gorgeous body, perfect hair, and intriguing eyes.

Ali looked over and snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." I replied.

"You seemed distant." She commented.

"Just thinking, that's all." I assured her.

She shook it off, and fixated her eyes back on the road.

We pulled up to the Rosewood Mall, and Ali parked in our usual space.

"What are we doing here?" I asked her.

"You'll find out." She replied.

Ali dragged me into the Rosewood Mall, and I found myself running towards the doors.

We went towards Fabulous, and headed inside.

Kendra was at the register, and greeted us with a wave.

Ali led me towards her, and we stopped in front of the register.

"Happy Birthday Hanna." Kendra told me.

"Thank you." I replied with a grin.

Kendra waved, as Ali dragged me upstairs into our office.

"Close your eyes." Ali told me.

"Fine." I sighed.

I shut my eyes and faced the wall, as I heard Ali moving around the office.

"Open." Ali commanded.

I opened my eyes and spun around to see Ali holding up a garment bag with a gorgeous dress inside.

"Wa-lah!" Ali exclaimed.

I put my hands to my face.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

Ali passed me the bag, and I sat down in my desk chair, and placed the dress on the desk.

I looked over every inch of it.

It was a black dress, with a rhinestone upside down triangle at the top. At the bottom, the dress had some creasy ruffles, and was nice and flowy.

"I call it, the Hanna." Ali told me.

"Wow." I blurted.

"Thank you so much Ali." I told her.

"It's perfect.. It's exactly like…" I began.

"Your dream dress?" Ali asked.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Caleb showed me your journal, and your sketch of this perfect dress. I had it made in your size." She grinned.

"This is so great." I cooed.

Ali passed me a card, and I opened it up.

Inside were tons of signatures from Ali, and my employees.

On the left side of the card, it read: You have a kind heart.

"Thank you so much Ali!" I squealed, and wrapped her in a hug.

I headed towards the phone, and pressed the button that connected to the intercom.

"This is Hanna Rivers. I'd like to thank all of you for making this beautiful card, and helping with my gorgeous dress. I love you all." I announced.

I released my finger from the intercom button, and put the phone back in its holder.

Ali smiled at me, as we linked our arms together, and headed downstairs.

Downstairs, all of the workers were jumbled up, waiting for me.

I wrapped my arms around Kendra and Jane, the first employees we hired.

"Thank you guys." I told them.

"My pleasure Mrs. Rivers." Jane replied.

"Call me Hanna." I told her.

"Oh.. um… okay.. Mrs. Riv- I mean Hanna." She jumbled and headed back to her position upstairs.

I laughed, and Ali led me outside.

Once I got outside, my mom was waiting in the fire lane.

Ali waved goodbye, and I stepped towards the car.

Right as Ali was heading inside, I called out, "Wait!"

Ali turned around.

"You sure you can handle the store?" I asked.

"Of course! Don't worry, have fun!" She assured me and headed inside.

I released the tension in my shoulders, and headed inside my mom's rental car.

"Hey mom!" I exclaimed.

"Hi Hanna." She returned.

We drove off towards, well, wherever we were going.

Soon enough, my mom pulled up to the church.

It's great white structure had shone in the light, and looked magnificent.

My mom parked across the street, and we walked to the church.

Since it was Thursday, the church didn't have a service.

We sat down in a pew, and my mom stood up.

"Well Hanna, I'm going to give you your reason right here. Hanna, you are strong. You are the strongest girl I know. When your father left, you took care of me. You took care of me when I was supposed to take care of myself. The roles were supposed to be reversed. Hanna, every single time your world came crashing down, you stayed strong. When you were away, my strength was gone. Hanna, you are/were my strength. You held me together baby girl. You are strong for your friends, for Caleb, and for Bella. That is a lot of strength in you. You may not be physically strong, but you Hanna Rivers, are mentally strong." She stated.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate it." I told her and gave her a hug.

She nodded, and I saw out of my peripheral vision that someone was walking into the church. I turned around to see Toby and Ezra standing there.

"Hey Han!" They chorused.

I waved to my mom, and the guys led me to Toby's car.

We drove to The Grille, and Ezra offered to buy lunch.

"Hello guys!" I exclaimed.

"Hey Han." They repeated.

"Thanks for lunch Ez." I told him as a woman approached us.

"Hi, I'm Brittany and I'll be your server today." She greeted.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?" She asked.

"We'll have waters." Toby ordered for us.

"Is that all?" She asked.

"Yes." We chorused.

She stalked off to get our drinks, and Toby and Ezra exchanged a look.

They began to recite something in sync, which extremely confused me.

"Hanna, oh Hanna. You even have that smile on Hanna, with your attitude Hanna. You've got that strength Hanna, and that great mind of yours, oh Hanna. Now we're sitting' here wondering what we would do without you Hanna. Cause Hanna, everyone needs you Hanna. Without you it wouldn't be the same oh Hanna. Cause you make the world turn Hanna. Without you Hanna, we'd be some weirdly dressed people. Without you Hanna, we wouldn't be the same, oh Hanna!" They sang.

I burst into laughter when they were finished.

Everyone at The Grille stood up and applauded.

I still, remained laughing while the two looked at each other.

By the time the woman could ask for our lunch orders, Toby and Ezra were creeping out of the door, singing the song. I still remained laughing hysterically, and the waitress stood there forever glaring at me. I felt myself being swept up by Claudia, and continued to laugh as she dragged me to her car.

"What's so funny Hanna?" She asked me.

"Toby and Ezra...they...they sang this song.." I began, but couldn't hold myself together.

Claudia shook her head, and drove off to the Rosewood Community Park.

Once we got to the park, Claudia led me to a bench.

We sat down on the bench, and Claudia grabbed my hands.

"Hanna, dear Hanna. You're the daughter I never had. I am beyond grateful that you married my Caleb. You make Caleb the happiest man on this earth Hanna, and nothing could change that. As soon as I saw many years ago, the way Caleb looks at you, I knew you were the one. You are such a kind soul Hanna, and speaking for my family and I, we love you. You and Bella make Caleb smile like no one else darling. I am so glad that he has become a great husband, and is such a great man. I am so proud of him, you know? But, I am proud of you. You held your ground to protect Caleb after those hard times. When Caleb found out his father's true identity, you were right there to support him. After Ravenswood, and his readjusting to Rosewood, you warmed back up to him. I knew nothing could separate the two of you. You are two soul mates out there, and extremely deserve each other. Hanna, thank you for taking care of my son, and your family. That is all I could ever ask or need from you dear. I'm sure you will love your gift later, it is extremely fabulous!" She told me.

"Thank you Claudia. I love Caleb and Bella more than everyone, and I don't think he could ever get a better mother. I love you too, and I really appreciate it." I replied.

She squeezed my hand, and waved, as she hopped in the car.

I huffed out a deep breath, and pulled out my phone.

I got a text from Caleb that read, 'Turn around.'

I turned around to see Veronica, Pam, and Ella standing behind me.

"Oh my god!" I squealed.

I wrapped the women in a huge hug.

"What- What are you doing here? I thought you were all back home, wait what! This is crazy! I can't believe you're here. Did Caleb arrange this? Ahhh this is so great! I'm so happy you're all back home!" I rambled.

The three women chuckled in response to my rambling, and Pam suggested, "Lets take a walk."

"Are you in on this whole present reason thing too?" I asked.

The three nodded, and I added, "I figured."

"Well, thank you so much for flying all the way out here for me!" I exclaimed.

"How long are you here for?" I asked.

"Two weeks, we had to see our grandchildren turn three!" Veronica exclaimed.

"Awesome!" I grinned.

These three women are honestly like mothers to me. They helped me and still do when I'm in need, and give great advice.

"Alright, so here's what you need to do. Somewhere around the park are three hidden reasons, and you need to find them." Ella told me.

I nodded, "Alright, let's get started!"

I stalked off into the woods, the women at my heels, and searched.

I climbed up a tree and looked around for hidden messages.

In a few trees away, I spotted a pink piece of paper attached to the tree.

As quickly as I could, I climbed down the tree, and headed towards the tree.

The note read:

You're never afraid to be who you are, no matter what others think. ~Pam.

I smiled and gave a thumbs up to Pam.

I stalked out of the woods, and towards the benches.

I bent down, and looked under the benches.

Nothing.

I headed towards the playground, and walked under its structure.

Under the playground's slide, was a blue note.

You're protective of your friends. ~Veronica

I looked over to see the three women standing by the benches, and gave Veronica a thumbs up.

I moved on towards the swings, and sat down in a swing. I began to swing, and on the swing pole above me, was a note. Unfortunately, I was way too short to reach the pole, and I looked around for help.

I saw an approximately 6 foot tall, middle aged man pushing his son, or what I thought was his son, on the set of toddler swings.

I stalked over towards him, and called out, "Excuse me!"

The man spun around, and tilted his head.

"Hi, someone left a note for me, and I'm afraid it's too high for me to reach. Could you get it?" I asked him.

He nodded, and followed me as I led him to the swing.

The man looked around, utterly confused of where the note was.

I pointed to the green note, and he reached up, and grabbed it.

He handed me the note, and I said, "Thanks."

The man stalked off back towards the crying toddler, still on the swings.

The note read:

You set a goal, and did everything to reach it. ~Ella

I sat there on the swing for a few minutes, thinking about what the note meant. It must have been how I wanted to open up my own clothing store, and be a fashion designer. Fabulous did take a ton of effort, begging, and hard work.

I walked over to the 3 women, and enveloped them in a hug.

"Thank you ladies, so much." I told them.

"Your welcome Hanna." They chorused.

Pam gave my hand a squeeze, as they stalked off to head back to their daughter's homes. I sat down on a swing, and noticed that Veronica was texting someone. The three women headed towards their rental car, and drove off. I checked the time, and noticed that it was already 1:30. Man, I didn't even have lunch.

I took out my phone, and saw that I had a new text from Ted.

I have reservations at Rive Gauche. Just the two of us, cool? I'll pick you up in five.

I texted back:

Sure, sounds great, thanks :)

I checked his message once again, and I noticed that it was sent four minutes ago.

I looked up, and Ted was standing by one of the benches.

I walked over and greeted, "Hi Ted!"

"Hanna." He returned.

He reached out his hand, and I took it in mine, and we walked towards his rental car.

We got inside the car, and drove off to Rive Gauche.

"I hope you haven't had lunch." He started.

"I haven't, I was so relieved when I got your text, I'm starving!" I assured him.

"Awesome, because I've been wanting some Rive Gauche." He replied.

"Me too!" I grinned in agreement.

He smiled back, and we parked in the mall's parking lot.

We headed into Rive Gauche, and sat down at a table for two.

Once our drinks were ordered, I began the conversation.

"So, how's Florida?" I asked.

"Great." He replied.

"Everything's going well at the church?" I added.

He nodded, "Yeah. I'm really happy there, and I have so many great people who attend the services. It's truly a great place."

"That's great!" I exclaimed.

I loved hearing good news about how my mom and Ted have been doing.

My mom's happiness is one of my main priorities, and I'm happy that over the years, Ted has provided her with that.

"I'll visit soon." I promised him.

"We'll be glad to have you." He returned.

"Bella will be three, so it'll be a good opportunity for her." I pointed out.

"Yeah, I hope she loves the ocean!" He grinned.

Throughout the whole lunch, Ted and I chatted, and at the end; he passed me a note.

Reason:

You can be independent when you need to be.

"Wow, this is unlike the others I've gotten!" I remarked.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He urged.

"Good, really good. It's an amazing quality; thank you!" I assured him.

"Alright, I was starting to get worried." He chuckled.

"It's great Ted, thank you." I finished, and squeezed his hand.

We walked out of Rive Gauche, and I sat on the bench in the Rosewood Mall.

"I'll see you later Hanna." He told me.

"Alright, later." I agreed, and gave a small wave.

I waited for a little bit on the bench, and saw Caleb.

"Hi babe." I greeted him.

"Hi Han." He returned.

"Are we going home?" I asked him.

He nodded, "Yep."

"Great, because I am exhausted!" I groaned.

Caleb let out a small chuckle, and led me out to the car.

I hopped in the passenger seat, as we began our journey home.

Once I opened my home's front door, I was greeted by four small children.

"Hi Bella!" I cooed, scooping her up.

I stepped inside, followed by Caleb.

None of the girls, Ashley, Ted, Claudia, Pam, Ezra, Ella, Veronica, or Toby were in sight.

"What are you doing here?" I asked the three other little ones as I sat down on the couch.

Caleb gave Mikey and the others a small nudge, and they chorused "We love you Auntie Hanna/ Mama!"

"Aw! That's so sweet!" I exclaimed and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Thank you!" I told them, giving them small kisses on their foreheads.

"I think this reason is my favorite." I told Caleb.

The little ones stared up at me, and I released Bella so she could go play with them.

"So where are we going for dinner?" Caleb asked me.

"Actually, I want to stay here." I told him.

"Really?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, my family's here, that's all that matters." I told him.

Caleb replied by pressing a small kiss on my forehead, and we sat there on the couch together, and listened to the little ones laugh.


	14. Chapter 14

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

Caleb gave Mikey and the others a small nudge, and they chorused "We love you Auntie Hanna/ Mama!"

"Aw! That's so sweet!" I exclaimed and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Thank you!" I told them, giving them small kisses on their foreheads.

"I think this reason is my favorite." I told Caleb.

The little ones stared up at me, and I released Bella so she could go play with them.

"So where are we going for dinner?" Caleb asked me.

"Actually, I want to stay here." I told him.

"Really?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, my family's here, that's all that matters." I told him.

Caleb replied by pressing a small kiss on my forehead, and we sat there on the couch together, and listened to the little ones laugh.

Ch 14: Hanna's Birthday (continued)

Hanna's POV

I watched as Bella ran from Mikey as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"No!" She squealed as Mikey caught up to her.

I pulled out my phone, the kids were too adorable, I just had to get it on video.

All of the sudden, Mikey placed a kiss on Bella's cheek, and she squealed.

Caleb and I burst into laughter as I ended the video.

"You should've recorded it." He murmured, still looking at the kids.

"Already did." I told him with a grin.

He threw back his head and laughed, as I looked over at Sarah and Jonathan.

Jonathan was now chasing Sarah, and Caleb interrupted them.

He walked over and scooped up Jonathan, and took him back to the couch.

"Alright, listen little man. Don't get any ideas from this crazy guy known as Mikey, okay? Girls are gross, and nasty. We don't like girls, okay?" He told Jonathan.

Jonathan nodded, and Caleb placed him back down gently at the floor.

Once the little ones were out of earshot, I spoke to Caleb, "You think I'm nasty?" I teased with a smirk.

"Of course not princess." He told me, and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Okay." I whispered.

He wrapped his arms around me, and I leaned my head into his chest.

"Hanna?" I heard a voice ask.

I opened my eyes, "What?"

"You fell asleep." Caleb told me.

I looked around to see myself hugging a blue throw pillow, and a brown fuzzy blanket on me.

"Oh." I replied.

"The girls are coming over really soon, you might want to-" He began,

"Say no more." I told him, and ran upstairs.

Dang it, of course I had to fall asleep. Now I wouldn't have a lot of time to pick out an outfit, shoes, or do my makeup. Ugh.

I looked through my closet picking through dress after dress.

I looked at a red one, "Too casual", and moved onto the next.

"No. No. No." I kept repeating dress after dress.

I flopped onto my bed and sighed.

Then I suddenly realized that I have that dress from Ali downstairs.

I raced down the steps, and grabbed my dress off of the dining room table.

Caleb smiled when he saw me, and I smiled back, racing up the stairs.

I quickly put on my dress, and admired myself in the mirror.

The dress fit me perfectly, it hugged my body perfectly. It is.. perfect.

I spun around in the dress, and gave one final glance in the mirror, and put on my heels.

Once my heels were on, I fixed my hair. There most likely wasn't enough time to curl or straighten it, so I just simply sprayed it, and dry shampooed it.

I moved to the side to grab my toothbrush, and brushed my teeth.

After my teeth were as white as can be, I applied my foundation.

"Ten minutes!" Caleb called.

"Okay!" I returned.

Alright, 10 minutes would give me just enough time.

I finished my foundation, and noticed that my eyes looked quite baggy.

"Ew." I muttered.

I grabbed my concealer, and applied it under my eyes.

Next, I put on my mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, liquid lipstick liner, and lipstick.

I headed outside the bathroom, and looked in the mirror one final time.

I looked, well, kind of perfect.

I felt like I was missing something, so I looked around the room.

A small circular pin on my dresser caught my eye.

I grabbed the pin, and a smile instantly flooded my face.

The pin was a circular with small cakes all over, and confetti. Across the middle read "It's my Birthday!" I think my mom got this for me when I was seven or eight, and I wore it to school on my birthday. I snapped the pin onto my dress, and adjusted it. I took one final glance in the mirror, and exited my bedroom. I looked down from the spiral staircase's platform to see all of the guests standing by the door.

I put on a great smile, and advanced down the stairs.

"You look gorgeous Hanna!" Ali squealed.

"That's a perfect dress!" Aria added.

\ "It looks great on you Han!" Spencer added.

"I want one." Emily pouted.

I threw back my head and laughed, "Thanks guys."

My mom looked at me in admiration, "That dress seriously looks perfect on you Hanna. You look perfect tonight."

"You don't even know Han." Spence agreed with her.

I blushed, and escorted everyone to the dining room table.

I looked around for Caleb, and spotted him with tons of gifts in his arms.

He quickly put them down, and joined me at the table.

I sat at the head of the table, and looked down at my loved ones.

"Happy Birthday Hanna." Ezra started.

"Thank you." I returned.

Soon enough, everyone in the room wished me a happy birthday, and I returned a thank you.

"So Hanna, how did the messages work out?" Caleb began.

"Great, everyone had such amazing things to say about me. I really loved it, thank you all." I replied and began to tear up.

"That's great." Caleb grinned.

"I'm glad it worked out." He added.

"You've got a keeper Hanna, you always have." My mom told me with a wink.

"I know I do." I told her, reaching under the table, and lacing my fingers with Caleb's.

Her comment caused Caleb and I to smile from ear to ear, and I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"That's all I get?" He asked.

I nodded, "Mhm-hmm."

"Okay." He sighed.

The situation reminded me of what happened with Mikey and Bella earlier, and I decided to bring it up.

"You guys would never guess what I happened earlier!" I exclaimed, gathering everyone's attention.

Every eye was on mine, and I continued, "Mikey kissed Bella on the cheek."

"No way!" Spencer exclaimed and let out a laugh.

"That's my boy." Toby praised.

Spencer gave him a look and a playful nudge.

"Well, I don't think Bella should be dating quite yet." Caleb announced.

"They're too young." Spencer agreed.

"They're just two." Toby pointed out.

"Soon to be three." Spencer corrected him.

Toby began to stutter and speak but Spencer grinned.

"You win." Toby muttered.

"Seriously though, soon enough, our kids'll graduate from high school." I pointed out.

"They have sixteen years to go." Toby added.

"Fifteen." Spencer whispered.

"What was that?" Toby asked her.

"I said.." She began.

Toby began to tickle Spencer, whom almost fell off of her chair.

"Alright, enough you two." Ezra stopped them with a chuckle.

The whole table burst into laughter at the couple's playful interaction.

"You are too cute." I told them.

"Thank you." Spencer said with a small curtsy.

I let out a small laugh, and Caleb excused himself to head towards the kitchen.

Conversations that were going around the table stopped as Caleb came out with two plates of steak. He held up a finger signaling us to wait, and stalked back into the kitchen. He came back with mashed potatoes,gravy, and sauteed mushrooms for on top of the steak. He went back into the kitchen again, coming out with four plates of chicken nuggets and noodles for the little ones. Ashley stood up to help Caleb, as the two came back with alcohol and silverware.

Once everything was set up, I helped myself to steak and mashed potatoes. I smothered the potatoes in gravy, and dug into the meal. My mouth watered as it came in contact with the steak. It was perfectly done, just the way I like it.

"Everything tastes amazing Caleb." I praised him.

I looked around the table as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Thank you princess." He replied.

I nodded and smiled.

"I had a great twenty ninth birthday." I told everyone.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

I looked at Caleb who tilted his head, and excused himself from the table.

Everyone stood up from the dinner table, and looked towards the doorway to face the visitor.

No one was there.

Not a single soul.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Caleb?" I asked.

He scooped down, and grabbed a box.

"Caleb." I repeated.

He closed the door, and handed me the box.

I gave my mom a look, who turned to Ted.

"Ted, how about you take the kids outside to play?" Ashley suggested.

Ted looked back between my mother and I, giving us worried glances.

"Okay." He said, and gathered up the kids.

On his way out, he mouthed 'Be careful.'

I nodded, and as soon as Ted shut the door, I fixated my eyes back on the box.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Do you think it's-" Pam started.

"From -A?" Ezra finished.

"There's only one way to find out." I whispered.

I took a deep breath, and opened up the box.

Everyone stood up and began to surround me as I went through it's contents.

I pulled out a vile of blood, and gasped.

I showed Aria the vial, in which had a label with her name on it.

"Oh my god!" Aria exclaimed.

I moved onto the next vial, labeled Spencer.

The next read Emily.

The next read Alison.

The one after that was mine, my blood.

There were five more vials of blood in there.

I looked at Caleb.

"Who could they be?" He asked me.

I pulled out the five vials to reveal Noel's, Mona's, Mike's, Paige's and Jenna's blood.

"Holy shit!" Caleb exclaimed.

"This is our blood." I whispered.

I pulled out a note, and read it aloud, "Happy Birthday Bitch. Kisses, -A."

Tears began to fill my eyes, and everyone around me began to cry as well.

"How the hell is Mike's blood there?" Ella asked.

"Mike didn't take the blood." Aria whispered.

Ezra, Caleb, Toby, Aria, Ali, Emily, Spencer, and I exchanged a look. That night, when Mike broke into Em's house, Mike didn't take the blood.

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked.

"Nothing." I lied.

"Tell me, now." Ella demanded.

I looked around at the seven again, and avoided Pam, Veronica, Ella, and Ashley's glares.

Spencer mouthed, "Don't tell them."

"Oh, stop it with the high school secrets! We are your mothers, and adults. We'd like to know what this is about, for Mike's sake, Ella's sake, all of our sakes!" Veronica yelled.

"Before we were arrested, there were questions about if we knew if Mike drew blood from Mona, pint after pint, to kill her." Spencer blurted.

"Wow, that's crazy." Veronica said with an eye roll.

"Real story, now." Ashley demanded.

I looked at Pam in desperation, who held the same expression that the other mothers did.

"On Christmas Eve, after you all left, we were hanging out. Once it was time for bed, the guys stayed in the house, where as we went to the treehouse. The girls and I were in bed, and slept soundly. Around 2 am, Aria heard noises." Emily began.

"What kind of noises?" Ella asked.

"I woke up, and I just had some sort of feeling that -A would mess with us that night. heard noises around 2 am and woke up Spencer. Spence woke up Ali, and Ali grabbed a knife. We crept into the room outside the bedroom, and saw a black hooded figure. We chased the figure down the spiral staircase, and caught them, it was Mike." Aria explained and took a pause.

"But you were asked if you saw Mike, and you said no in court." Veronica pointed out.

We nodded, owning up to our lies.

Aria held up her hand to continue, "We didn't let Mike escape. He told us that -A sent him there to draw blood from us. He could've furtherly harmed us. We tied up Mike, and kept him there demanding answers. We received Mike's phone, and discovered that he had been in contact with Melissa, Jason, CeCe, and Mona. Mona was alive the whole time. The five were meeting secretly. Mike unfortunately escaped, however we still had his phone." Aria finished.

"You saw Mike?" Ella sobbed.

We nodded.

"And you girls didn't tell me?" She added.

"Mom I'm so-" Aria began.

"Don't." Ella began to raise her voice.

"Ella it's Hanna's birthday, can we please go back to our dinner?" Pam asked.

"I need some time." Ella whispered, and headed out the door.

Aria stood up, and excused herself from the table.

I sat there, looking around at everyone.

"You do realize that you lied in court?" Veronica scowled.

I stood up, tossed my napkin on the table, and walked out the door.

"Hanna wait-" Veronica called.

Her words were ended by my slamming of the front door.

Ella and Aria were in an intense conversation, and they both were looking at me.

"Ella, I-" I began.

"Hanna, it's okay." She said.

Ella came up, and wrapped her arms around me.

I began to cry, and Aria joined us in the hug.

Ella wiped away a few tears from her eyes, and pulled away from the hug.

"I'm sorry girls. I-I just wanted to see Mike before he passed." Ella told us.

"I know." We whispered.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" Ella finished, wiping tears from her eyes, and giving my hand a squeeze.

I nodded, and we headed inside.

Once we all sat back down, Ali asked, "Where do we put the blood?"

"We sure aren't keeping it in our homes." Caleb scowled.

I nodded in agreement.

"We bury it. Far from Rosewood." I answered.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

We were interrupted by five voices entering the room.

I ran towards the basement, and locked the blood in my office.

Once I headed back upstairs, everyone was sitting down.

"So, how's the steak?" I asked everyone, getting the conversation flowing.

A chorus of, "Delicious. Good. Amazing." flooded the room.

Ted looked very uneasy, and Ashley gave him a, "I'll tell you later" look.

"So, how about those presents birthday girl?" Caleb began.

I nodded, "Sure."

Caleb headed off, followed by Toby to grab the pile of presents.

I headed to the couches, everyone following.

Caleb and Toby set the presents down before me, and I thanked them.

I looked around at the huge pile, and closed my eyes.

I grabbed a present, and put it in my hands.

"Why are Mama's eyes closed?" Bella asked Caleb.

"It's only fair this way." I told her.

"Oh." The little one shrugged.

I proceeded to opening the gift, and revealed a box.

I opened up the box to find a set of gorgeous high heels, and a $50 gift card to the Rosewood Mall.

I opened up the card in the box as well.

On the front was the number twenty-nine, and I opened it to reveal the message.

"Wishing you an amazing birthday. Love, Veronica." I read aloud.

"Thank you Veronica!" I exclaimed.

"You're welcome." She returned.

I balled up the wrapping paper, and threw it at Toby, whom was sitting in the couch across from mine.

"Hey!" He exclaimed with a grin.

I burst into laughter, and realized that something hit my face.

I looked down to see a ball of wrapping paper on my lap.

"Oh it's on Toby!" I teased.

I began to stand up, entertaining the little ones, and sat back down.

I returned to my present-picking methods, and reached down for a gift.

When I opened my eyes, a large box sat before me.

"Ooo! It's a big present!" I exclaimed.

I tore through the wrapping paper to reveal a box.

I opened that box to find another box.

I opened that box to find another box.

Caleb burst into laughter and I rolled my eyes, "Not funny." I grumbled.

I continued to open each box, 4 more boxes to reveal a Tiffany &amp; Co box.

"Caleb!" I exclaimed.

"Hanna!" He exclaimed in return with a smirk.

I smacked him playfully with one of the boxes, and the room burst into applause.

I gave everyone quite some time to get themselves together. Okay, I gave them like 30 seconds. I couldn't contain my excitement for what would be inside. I held up my hand, and everyone fixated their eyes on the box.

I opened the box, finally, to reveal a gorgeous necklace with a key. The key had a heart on the top of the key.

"It's gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you!" I added.

"Your welcome." Caleb returned, giving a small bow.

I applauded and giggled the same way I did many years ago.

When Toby was whispering something to Spencer, I nudged Caleb, and handed him half of the wrapping paper.

"One, two." We whispered.

"Three!" We yelled.

As soon as we threw chunks of wrapping paper, Toby spun around on the couch.

He groaned, and balled up the wrapping paper on the floor.

The kids burst into a fit of giggles, and leaned their heads back against the carpet.

"Alright, everyone, time for the next present!" I exclaimed.

I closed my eyes, and roamed around with my hands, and grabbed a present.

I opened my eyes to see a tiny gift bag in my hands, and scooped it up.

I grabbed tissue paper from the bag, and a card popped out.

I opened up the card to see an unusual invitation.

I put my hands to my face, and gasped.

"What is it? What?" Emily asked eagerly.

Caleb leaned in, and gasped as well.

"Ali and I have been invited to New York Fashion Week in the upcoming fall!" I squealed.

I jumped up and down, and everyone began to applaud.

"Caleb's welcome to come to." Ali told me.

"By the way, that isn't your present." Ali assured me.

I nodded, "But it's such a fabulous present!"

I wrapped my arms around Ali, and retreated back to the couch to continue opening my gifts.

With my eyes open, I reached down and picked up a gift bag.

I took out the tissue paper, and revealed Bare Minerals Foundation.

I dug through to reveal a bunch of lipsticks tied together in a bow.

I moved onto the card, which had a $25 Sephora gift card.

It was signed, 'Love, Pam.'

"Aw! Thanks so much Pam! You know me so well!" I exclaimed as I rose from the couch and enveloped her in a hug.

I headed back to the couch, as Caleb gathered the wrapping paper.

Toby looked very annoyed, and was aware of his surroundings.

"For later." Caleb told Toby.

I ignored the two, and picked up another gift bag.

When I opened the card, a $100 gift card to Sephora popped out.

It was signed 'We love you so much Hanna. Love, Mom and Ted.'

"Thank you guys!" I exclaimed.

"Your welcome Hanna." Ashley returned.

Aria, Emily, Ali, and Spencer all stood together.

They handed me an envelope, and Aria held a gift bag in her hands.

I rose my eyebrow as the girls backed away so everyone could see.

I opened up the envelope to reveal a card.

I opened it up, and a full sheet of paper popped out.

It was folded in half, and I unfolded it.

I scanned the contents and jumped up and down.

Caleb grinned, and I assumed that he knew what it was.

"I'm going to Milan!" I exclaimed.

I squealed and wrapped the girls in one giant hug.

"We figured that we needed some girl time." Aria grinned.

"What a better way to do it than in the fashion capital of the world?" Ali squealed.

"I can't believe this!" I exclaimed.

Aria handed me the gift bag, which had four cards inside.

I opened the cards one by one to reveal four gift cards.

Each gift card had $100 on them.

One was for Sephora, one was for Nordstrom, one for Mia's; an amazing store in the Rosewood Mall, and one for Steve Madden.

"Oh my gosh! Guys! You shouldn't have!" I exclaimed.

"Looks like someone is going to have to be taking a lot of Sephora trips." Ezra said to Caleb.

"And carry 20 bags into the house." Caleb teased.

"There's two more bags." Caleb told me.

I nodded, and grabbed a small envelope.

I revealed yet another Sephora gift card; from Ella, and thanked her.

"Where's the last gift?" I asked Caleb.

He replied by walking into the kitchen.

Caleb came back with a huge wrapped box, and set it in front of me. On top was a smaller box, but still huge.

"Bella!" I called.

Bella emerged from the floor, and walked over to me.

"Help mommy open this." I told her, gesturing to the larger box.

Bella nodded.

I detached the smaller box, and told Bella to wait to open the other box.

The smaller box revealed four romance novels that I have been wanting in a box set.

On top was a sticky note with '~Bella' on top.

"Thank you Bella!" I exclaimed, and pressed a kiss to my daughter's forehead.

I moved on and told Bella, "One, Two, Three!"

We ripped the wrapping paper to reveal a MacBook Pro.

"Woah!" I exclaimed.

"Caleb- this is-" I began.

"-exactly what I wanted!" I exclaimed.

I threw my arms around his neck, and he held me for quite some time.

"Cake!" Bella squealed.

Caleb pulled away from me and responded, "How demanding."

"She gets it from Hanna." Ashley muttered.

"What was that mom?" I asked with a tease.

"Nothing." She whispered.

I giggled, and headed towards the dining room table.

Caleb began to gather the wrapping paper, and called out, "Hanna!"

I spun around, as did everyone else.

"What?" I asked.

"There's one more gift." He told me.

Everyone looked at each other.

"But everyone already gave me one-" I began.

Caleb replied by giving me an envelope.

Everyone gathered around me as I slid out car keys.

"Car keys!" I exclaimed.

I looked around to see everyone else look as surprised as I am.

"Who got me a car?" I asked.

Silence.

"He did." I scowled.

I approached the front door, and left it open behind me.

I went outside to see a new SUV in the driveway.

I stomped towards the front of the car, to see a note attached to the front.

I pulled off the note to see:

"Happy 29th Hanna. I hope you enjoy your new car. Love, Dad." I read aloud.

I saw my mom standing closest to me, the one who realized who it was from right away.

I shoved the letter in her face.

"I don't want a car from him!" I yelled.

"I don't want you to take it." My mom agreed.

"We do need a new car Hanna." Caleb pointed out.

"I don't want to take it." I stated.

I looked over to see Bella with a frightened expression on her face.

"Later." I told Caleb.

I ran towards Bella, and scooped her up.

I took her down to the edge of the driveway.

"It's okay baby, it's okay." I assured her.

Bella held onto my shoulder, and I patted her back.

"Let's go back inside." I told everyone.

Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Ali exchanged a glance, and nodded.

We all headed towards the front door.

Once everyone was back at the dining room table, Caleb headed off to get the cake and champagne with Ezra. Caleb set down two cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla. Ezra set down the champagne bottles.

"Thank you kind sirs." I said with a giggle.

Caleb and Ezra exchanged a look, and did a small bow.

Ezra sat down while Caleb hit the lights, and stood behind me.

One by one, Caleb lit the candles.

I watched the flames move back and forth across the wax.

It was so mesmerizing.

Caleb hit the lights, and sat down.

"One, two, three!" Caleb exclaimed.

Everyone began to chorus, "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Hanna. Happy Birthday to you!"

I blew out my candles all at once, and everyone applauded.

Caleb turned the lights on, and cut the cake into slices.

Caleb served everyone around the table, depending on who wanted chocolate vs vanilla.

I dug into my vanilla cake and moaned.

"It's so good!" I exclaimed.

Everyone else nodded in agreement with mouthfuls of cake.

Caleb asked, "Champagne anyone?"

The adults around the table eagerly nodded, and I passed.

"No champagne Hanna?" Pam asked.

"Come on Han, live a little!" Ali exclaimed.

Caleb and I looked at each other and exchanged a look.

"Oh my god!" Aria gasped.

We all turned to Aria, who had her hands over her face.

I grabbed Caleb's hand, and we stood up.

"We have an announcement to make." Caleb began.

He looked towards me for encouragement.

"We're expecting." I told everyone.

Ali, Aria, Emily, and Spencer ran up and enveloped me in a hug.

I threw back my head and laughed.

"No way!" Ashley exclaimed.

I walked over towards Claudia and Ashley, and hugged them both.

Everyone else gave me a hug as well.

Claudia leaned into my ear, "I knew it."

I playfully nudged her, and sat back down.

"Congratulations!" Everyone chorused.

"When do you find out the gender?" Aria asked.

"The end of this month." I told her.

"Man, the kids will be three soon!" Ali exclaimed.

We all nodded.

"It's crazy to think about." I agreed.

I added, "I remember holding Bella in my arms for the first time. That was the best day of my life."

"Mine too." Aria murmured.

"Not holding Bella, I mean, holding my child." Aria clarified.

"I mean, I love Bella too." Aria assured me with nervous eyes.

"I know." I said with a chuckle.

"Oh." Aria said with a whisper.

"We want a girl." Caleb told everyone.

Everyone nodded, "We should have a girl." Spencer told Toby.

Toby threw up his hands.

Ezra and Caleb gave him a playful nudge, and I looked around at my family.

"We should play a game." Emily suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea." Ella agreed.

"Alright, I'll go grab one." I told everyone.

"Actually, I believe that it is bedtime for the little ones." Ali pointed out.

"Ahh, you're right Ali." I agreed with a smirk.

The kids gathered up and sat down in their chairs.

Ali stood up, and mouthed 'I'll take care of it.'

"Alright, kiddos, time for bed!" Emily called, giving Ali's hand a squeeze.

"Hey!" Ali protested.

"They like me better." Em shrugged.

All of the kids leapt up to Emily as she scooped up Mikey, and held Bella's hand.

While she was going upstairs, we heard choruses of "Auntie Em!"

"They do like her a lot." I murmured.

"All Ali does is freak them out." Spencer whispered.

Ali rolled her eyes and stayed in her seat.

"Have you heard from Melissa recently?" I asked Spencer, changing the subject.

"A few times, not in the last two weeks though." Spencer replied with a frown.

"We never confronted her of working with Mona." Caleb pointed out.

"Yeah, we should get on that." Toby urged.

"Okay." Spencer whispered.

"She shouldn't do it over the phone." Em said, coming down the stairs, without the kids.

"Em's right, it's only right to do it in person." Aria agreed.

"Confronting someone over the phone and saying 'I know you're working with the enemy' isn't exactly welcoming.' " I pointed up.

"Melissa could always hang up." Ted spoke up.

"True, that's the power of technology." Spencer agreed with a small eyeroll.

"What if Melissa doesn't crack though?" Toby asked.

"She'll have to." Veronica agreed.

We all focused on Veronica, urging her to speak more.

"Forget about Melissa, what are we going to do about the blood in the basement!" I exclaimed.

"Good point." Caleb whispered.

Our thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"This late? Who could it be?" Caleb asked, rising from his seat.


	15. Chapter 15

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"Melissa could always hang up." Ted spoke up.

"True, that's the power of technology." Spencer agreed with a small eyeroll.

"What if Melissa doesn't crack though?" Toby asked.

"She'll have to." Veronica agreed.

We all focused on Veronica, urging her to speak more.

"Forget about Melissa, what are we going to do about the blood in the basement!" I exclaimed.

"Good point." Caleb whispered.

Our thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"This late? Who could it be?" Caleb asked, rising from his seat.

Ch 15

Hanna POV:

I rose from my seat as Caleb stalked off towards the door.

Everyone followed me as I headed to the doorway.

Caleb looked back at me, and opened the door.

There stood Melissa at the door.

"Melissa?" Spencer asked, pushing through the crowd.

"We need to talk. Now." Melissa told us.

I gave everyone a gesture as we backed up to let Melissa in.

Caleb closed the door behind him.

"Wait." Veronica blurted.

"Melissa Kingston, we are celebrating Hanna's birthday right now." Veronica scolded.

"Can it wait?" Ashley asked.

"I need to talk to them, now." Melissa repeated.

"It's going to have to wait." Caleb told her.

The girls and I turned around and advanced back to the dining room table when Melissa called out, "I know about the blood."

We spun around to face her.

"You're -A?" Spencer asked.

"We know you are working with Mona." I sneered.

"How would you know that? Why would I?" Melissa asked, putting her hand to her heart, and rolling her eyes.

"Get out of my house before I call the police." Caleb commanded.

Toby was standing at the door, as Melissa pulled out a gun.

Veronica and Spencer gasped at the sight.

Melissa advanced towards us, with the gun facing towards us.

Toby crept behind her, and smashed his gun's barrel on her head.

"Oh my god!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Go lock the door upstairs." I told Em.

Em looked frantically back and forth.

"Now!" I bellowed.

Em darted upstairs to check on the kids.

"Do you think she's -A?" Spencer asked us.

"I don't know." Ali whispered.

"What are we going to do with Melissa?" Veronica asked.

"Leave her outside, someone can anonymously report that we saw her." Toby told us.

The three men scooped up Melissa, and advanced towards the door.

"Be careful!" I yelled.

They nodded, as Spencer, Aria, and I watched our husbands leave.

"Do you think she's hurt?" Spencer asked.

"There's only one way to find out." Aria said with a shrug.

"What if she pins this on us?" Ali asked.

"What if she says that we did this to her?" Em added.

"We'll figure it out." I told them.

"I promise." I added, squeezing Spence's hand.

"Tell the children if they ask that my chair fell over." Ella told me.

I nodded, "Alright."

"What if Melissa shot us?" Aria cried.

I enveloped the girls in a hug, and led them to the couch.

I took their hands in mine.

"We're safe now." I told them.

"Toby always has our back." I added.

"Thank god he had that gun." Spencer whispered.

We all faced her.

"When he insisted on carrying it places, I was worried. I didn't like the idea of it. Now, I'm so glad that he does." Spencer told us with tears in her eyes.

"Spence." I murmured.

"It's gonna be okay." Veronica assured us.

"But mom, don't you see? My own sister tried to kill me!" Spencer exclaimed.

"We should tell the police the truth, part of it. That Melissa came into our house, and pulled out a gun. We'll be safer than. We could say that she ran off after." I suggested.

"Hanna's right. It's better to tell the truth." Aria whispered.

Toby, Caleb, and Ezra entered at that moment.

"We're good." Caleb told us.

I nodded.

"We're gonna tell the police the truth, except the fact that Toby hit Melissa in self defense." I told them.

"Okay, I don't want to see you guys behind bars again." Ezra said with a sigh.

"Call them." Caleb stated.

I pulled out my phone and called the Rosewood PD.

"Rosewood PD?" The receptionist answered.

"Hello, I'd like to report a case." I told her.

"Okay." She answered.

"Melissa Ki- Melissa Hastings just pulled out a gun at my house, and- and she ran away." I told her.

"Excuse me ma'am can you come into the station?" She asked.

"I'm in shock right now, it may be better for you to come here." I told her.

"Who is this?" She asked.

"Hanna Rivers. Commonly known as Hanna Marin." I replied and hung up.

"She didn't believe you?" Caleb asked.

"They're coming here." I told him.

We headed back to the dining room table and finished the cake.

The doorbell rang and Caleb answered the door.

Toby turned on the TV, which blared, "Melissa Hastings has just been found near the Rosewood Community Playground. Her state, unknown. She is unconscious and more news will come soon.

Several police officers entered the room, and asked, "Which one of you is Hanna Marin?"

I stood up slowly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we interrupting a family gathering?" The officer asked.

"Yes." Veronica replied.

"Is it okay if I ask the victims a few questions?" The officers asked.

I nodded, and beckoned the girls.

"Mrs. Rivers, could you tell me exactly what happened?" An officer asked as we shut the front door behind us.

"Yes, it is my birthday, and my family and I were enjoying a nice family dinner. We heard a knock on the door, and Melissa Hastings walked in the house. She told us that she needed to speak with us." I told them.

"Were you expecting the arrival of Mrs. Hastings?" The officer asked.

"Not at all, she isn't related to Hanna, she's my sister. She wasn't supposed to be visiting the states until the summer." Spencer told the officers.

"It says here that Melissa lives in England, is that correct?" An officer asked Spencer.

"Yes." Spencer replied.

"So, if she flew all the way here, it must've been something important." The officer pointed out.

"Yes." Spencer agreed.

"You said that she tried to shoot you, did you not want Melissa to enter your home?" An officer asked.

"Melissa has always been a family friend. We never had bad history, and when she entered the Rivers' residence, we were shocked." Ali spoke up.

"We told her that we wanted to here what she had to say." Em added.

"She pulled out the gun, and advanced towards the five of us." Aria told them.

"How did Melissa leave?" The officer asked.

"My husband was on the force previously, and told her to leave or he would call the police." Spencer told them.

"What did she do afterwards?" An officer asked.

"She lowered the gun, and ran outside. When our husbands tried to run after her, we watched, and she held up the gun behind her. We called them back in, since we didn't want them to be hurt. We surveyed the area and Melissa was gone." I concluded.

"There has been a recent report that Melissa was spotted by the Rosewood Community playground, which is far from here." The officer told us.

"Alright, that's all ladies. We'll take care of it." An officer assured us.

"Thank you." I told them, as they loaded the cop car.

We headed back inside, and I closed the door behind us.

"So?" Pam asked.

"They believed us. They told us that they knew that Melissa was at the playground." I told them.

"They don't know that you did it though. "I added.

The three guys exchanged a look.

"What?" Aria asked them.

"Hanna, we didn't leave Melissa at the Community Playground." Ezra told me.

"What?" I asked.

"Someone moved Melissa." Spencer whispered.

"We dropped her off in the other neighborhood." Caleb whispered.

"Oh my god!" Ashley exclaimed.

"If Melissa was unconscious, -A could've moved her." Ted told us.

"Crap." Toby stated.

"Crap is right." Ali agreed.

I checked my watch to see that it was 10:30.

"Woah, 10:30 all ready!" Ella exclaimed.

"We better get back to the hotel." Veronica added.

Ella, Veronica, Pam, Ashley, and Ted rose from their chairs.

I hugged each of them goodbye, as they exited my household.

"This was the strangest night ever." I muttered.

"Tell me about it." Spencer agreed.

"I'm really tired guys, we should probably go to bed." I told the girls.

"Caleb, can you check on the kids while we're gone?" I asked him.

He nodded, and the girls and I headed downstairs.

"I'll take the couch." Ali told me.

"Ali I can-" I started.

"No, Han please. We just had a tough night and it's your birthday." Ali insisted.

I nodded, and hopped into a bed with Em.

Ali pulled out the pull-out part of the couch, and set up her camp for the night.

I heard noises approach downstairs, and looked at the girls with wide eyes.

Caleb, Ezra, and Toby stood in the doorway.

"Helloooo!" Ezra began.

"Helloooo!" Toby continued.

"Helloooo!" Caleb finished.

"What are you guys doing here?" Aria added.

"We had to say goodnight to our princesses." Caleb told us.

"Awwww!" Spencer and Aria exclaimed.

I peeled part of the covers down as Caleb scooped me up.

"Goodnight Princess." Caleb told me and spun me around in his arms.

"I hope you had the best birthday ever." Caleb whispered.

"I had a great birthday, thank you." I told him as he placed me down on the floor.

I looked over to see Em and Ali in a makeout session, and headed over to where Spence and Aria were with Ezra and Toby.

I wrapped my arms around Ezra and Toby and gave them a big hug.

The three guys waved, and shut the door behind them as they exited the room.

I sat down on Spencer and Aria's bed, and looked away as Em and Ali continued to make out.

Spencer held up her fingers, three, two, and one.

We all cleared our throats as Em pulled away from Ali.

"Sorry." Em said with a small blush.

Ali headed to the couch, and I hopped under the covers next to Em.

"Goodnight." I told the girls.

"Goodnight!" They chorused.

Spencer and I pulled the lamps in sync, and the room lay in darkness.

Hours later, I woke up in my sleep.

I noticed that my throat was dry, so I advanced towards the door, which was locked.

I turned around and noticed that Ali was up, and Aria groggily called out, "What?"

Aria's voice woke up Spencer and Emily, who sat up as well.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked me.

"The door's locked." I told them.

"The guys did something with the blood." Aria whispered.

"We can't escape." Spencer whispered.

"It's two o'clock in the morning." Aria groaned.

"We've gotta stop them." Ali told us.

"It's too late." I told her.

"Who's gonna watch the kids?" Em asked.

"We'll be back soon." I told her.

"How do we get out?" Ali asked.

"The air ducts." Spencer answered.

We all immediately looked at Aria.

"What?" She asked.

"You're the smallest." I shrugged.

Spencer stood up on the bed, and unscrewed the top.

I tossed Aria's phone to her, as Spencer and Emily threw her up into the duct.

"I hate this." Aria groaned.

We burst into laughter.

"Call us Aria if you need anything!" I exclaimed and threw up the screwdriver.

"Alright!" Aria exclaimed.

I sat there on the bed as the girls and I waited.

Aria POV:

Well I was just forced to crawl in an air duct in my pajamas, what else is new.

Luckily, I know Hanna's house like the back of my hand, so it should be easy to reach a spot.

I continued to crawl around until I reached the living room.

I unscrewed the top, and jumped down onto Hanna's couch.

"That was so cool!" I exclaimed.

I approached the basement door, which was locked.

"Crud." I whispered.

I texted Hanna, 'Where do you keep your keys?'

She texted me back that they were in her office, under some dress sticky notes.

I headed upstairs to Hanna's office, and grabbed the keys to every door in the house beneath the sticky notes.

I unlocked the basement door, and headed downstairs and opened the guest room's door.

"Yay!" The girls chorused.

"Don't just stand there!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Spencer exclaimed.

We all ran up the basement steps, threw our coats on, and noticed that all of the cars except Hanna's new one were gone.

"We'll take it." Hanna told me, reading my thoughts.

"I call shotgun!" I exclaimed.

I hopped into the seat next to Hanna as we drove off.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"Ravenswood." Hanna answered.

I looked in the side mirror as my eyes met Spencer's.

About an hour later, we were in Ravenswood.

"Where are we going?" Ali asked Hanna.

"Grunwald's house." She answered.

We continued to drive through the small creepy town of Ravenswood.

We passed the graveyard as Em pointed out, "Hey, this is where I was kidnapped!"

"How fun." Spencer remarked with an eye roll.

"I didn't mean it like that." Em whispered.

"Sorry." Spencer apologized and gave Em's hand a small squeeze.

"We're here." Hanna announced.

Across the street was a small, rusty beige home that was right next to rows of black ones.

"How exciting." Ali remarked.

Hanna rolled her eyes at Ali as we walked up in a straight line, our arms laced together, to Mrs. Grunwald's front door.

"Isn't she like 100?" Ali asked.

"Seventy-two." Hanna corrected her.

"Yay Hanna did math!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Listen stop it guys. I know we're all tired." I scolded them.

"It's four in the morning." Em pointed out.

"Do you think she'll be awake?" Ali asked.

"There's only one way to find out." Hanna murmured.

Hanna pressed her hand on the door, and knocked.

The door was already open, and we headed inside.

As soon as I looked at the ground, I gasped.

Puddles of blood lay on the floor.

"We've gotta keep going." Spencer told us.

We laced our arms together, and climbed up the creaky steps.

More blood was on the stairs, fresh too.

"Guys, I'm scared." Ali said with a whisper.

"I am too." I chipped in.

"Let's go back downstairs." Hanna whimpered.

Spencer dragged us towards the bedroom door.

Spencer and Emily started searching the drawers.

A diary lay in the one drawer.

"Bingo." Spencer whispered.

Spence slipped the diary in her purse, as we ran downstairs and shut the door behind us.

"Let's call the guys." I whispered.

"Why?" Hanna asked.

"They're gonna be pissed when they find out we're here." Spencer muttered.

"Do you think that blood is ours?" I asked the girls.

Everyone shook at the thought, and we piled back in the car.

We pulled up beside the bed and breakfast, and Hanna whipped out her phone.

Hanna put her phone on speaker, as Ezra answered, "Hanna?"

"They found out." Toby muttered.

"Where are you? Where's Caleb?" Hanna bellowed.

"I'm here princess." Caleb said.

"Oh, don't you princess me." Hanna sneered.

"Ezra." I stated.

"Oh, Aria, I'm-" He began.

"Save it." I told him.

"Ezra I need you to tell me where you are, now." I demanded.

"How about the fact that you guys aren't where you think we are." Caleb interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"You're in Ravenswood." Caleb said.

"No we aren't." Hanna told him.

"Oh yeah, so what's the new car doing outside the bed and breakfast?" Caleb asked.

We all looked up into the window of the bed and breakfast to see Caleb, Ezra, and Toby looking out a window with their arms cross.

"We're coming up there." Hanna told him.

"Hanna do-" Caleb began as she hung up.

"Let's go girls." Hanna told us.

I looked at the others as we headed inside the bed and breakfast.

"Hi, we're here to pick up our cousins who are staying upstairs." Hanna told the woman at the desk.

"Who may that be?" The woman asked.

Spencer looked down at the check in book to see, "Chase Matthews" written under signed in at midnight.

"Chase Matthews." Spencer blurted.

"Are and his companions expecting you?" She asked.

"Yes." We told her.

She looked at us in uncertainty, and Ali slipped her a 20.

"Here's a key." She said, handing us a room key.

We advanced up the stairs and stuck the key in the door to room 206.

Toby, Ezra, and Caleb all sat down on beds in the room.

Hanna slammed the door behind us, and we advanced towards them.

"How dare you?" Hanna bellowed.

"You left our kids and us locked in the room like we're teenagers in the middle of the night!" She exclaimed.

"How did you get out?" Ezra asked.

"Dumb question, Spencer is how." Toby pointed out.

"You don't need the details, but why were we locked in the room?" Spencer yelled.

"Where's the blood?" I asked.

"Sweetheart, I.." Ezra began.

"Where is it?" I repeated.

"We can't tell you." Caleb answered.

"Well maybe Mrs. Grunwald can." Ali stated.

Spencer whipped out the diary and flashed it in their faces.

Caleb reached out for it, as Spencer put it back in her bag.

"I have teacher's conferences Ezra." I told him.

"We have jobs to do today, and now we have to chase our husbands!" Spencer exclaimed.

"We're going home." Hanna whispered sternly, grabbing Caleb's wrist.

"We can't yet." Caleb answered, escaping her grasp.

"Oh, yes we are." Hanna said, tears in her eyes.

"Melissa Hastings might be dead, now Mrs. Grunwald, and you are all going behind our backs?" Spencer asked.

"Unbelievable." She scoffed.

"You know what, let's just go home girls." Hanna said.

"Please." She added.

We nodded, and ran down the stairs.

"Wait!" They called out.

Caleb pressed his lips against Hanna's.

Hanna pulled away after a kiss.

"We did this because we love you." Caleb told her.

"You told me you wouldn't ever leave again." Hanna said, tears flowing out of her eyes.

"I know princess." He sighed.

"Please, just let's all go home." She told him.

Caleb nodded, as Ezra checked out.

"We'll see you when we get home." I told Ezra.

Ezra sighed, and the five of us loaded the car.

"I'll drive." Emily told Hanna.

Hanna and I took the back and switched with Emily and Ali.

Hanna fell into my arms as we drove off.

"I know." I told her.

"He just-left-and-I-was-so-mad." She sobbed.

"We're furious too." Spencer and I told her.

"What they did wasn't right." I told her.

She nodded, and I wiped tears from her eyes.

Ali turned on some music, and the three of us napped on the way home.

I felt someone shake me awake, and looked up to see Em and Ali waking us up/

"The guys are already here." Ali told us.

We nodded, and headed inside Hanna's household.

The guys all sat on the couch, waiting for us.

"The basement, now." Hanna told them.

We followed the four into the basement, and shut the basement door behind us.

"Explain. Now." I commanded the three.

Ali, Emily, Hanna, Spence, and I sat down on the couch, looking up at the three guys.

"Once you guys went to sleep, we hung out for a while. I crept into the basement to grab the vials. We drove to Ravenswood, as I know it like the back of my hand. We checked into the bed and breakfast, since we weren't gonna drive once we were finished. We drove to Mrs. Grunwald's house, and saw blood everywhere. We wanted to reach out to her to see if she knew anything about Mona. We drove to the cemetery, and splashed the blood in the woods. We drove off to the bed and breakfast, and stayed there overnight. We saw on the television that Mrs. Grunwald is dead. They didn't find the body, but due to the amount of blood, she's gone." Caleb explained.

"Why didn't you take us with you?" I asked Ezra.

"We knew you would be furious with us." Toby answered.

"Just like you are now." Ezra finished.

Before they could continue, my phone, Ali's, Em's, Hanna's, and Spencer's all went off. We all looked at each other, and checked our phones.

"Two bodies in one night. That's a record. Kisses, -A." Ali read aloud.

"Melissa." Spencer croaked.

As if on cue, the Rosewood PD called.

Hanna grabbed her cell phone, and went into the other room.

About 5 minutes later, she came back with tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" Ezra asked.

"It's Melissa." Hanna sobbed.

"No! No!" Spencer cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Spence." Hanna whispered.

"She can't be dead." Spencer whispered.

"What about Spencer? What about Wren and the kids?" Spencer asked.

"Spencer?" We asked.

"Melissa's baby." Spencer answered.

"You should call your mom Spence." I told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

Spencer nodded, and exited the room.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I need some sleep." Hanna told us.

"Make us breakfast." I told them.

"Don't lock the door behind you!" Em called out.

I curled up in my bed, waiting for Spence to return, and closed my eyes.

I woke up to a small kiss on my forehead.

When I opened my eyes, Jonathan was beside the bed.

I scooped him up, and went into the basement's main area.

"Hello handsome." I greeted.

"Momma's awake." I added.

He nodded, and I put him down on the floor.

Jonathan hugged my legs, and I gently took him off of my legs.

I headed back to the bed, where the other girls were with their kids.

I scooped up Jonathan again, and placed him on the bed with me.

"You're getting big!" I exclaimed.

He looked down and I chuckled.

Mikey tapped Jonathan, and the two began to talk.

"Go back upstairs." I told all of the kids.

To your Daddys, I silently added.

I looked over at Spence, the smile wiped from her face.

"I'm so sorry Spence." I told her.

She nodded, and I gave her hand a squeeze.

Hanna, Em, and Ali sat on the other bed, and I gave them a small wave.

"You were the last one up." Spencer told me.

I pulled out my phone to see that it was 7:30.

"One hours of sleep, yay." I remarked.

"I barely slept." Hanna and Spencer chorused.

"It was a long morning/night." I agreed.

I stood up, and stalked off to get changed.

Once I finished changing, I returned to the room.

I began to pack my stuff, Em and I could only stay for a quick breakfast, before we had to go to conferences.

"Ready for conferences?" I asked Em.

"No, I'll probably fall asleep during mine." She chuckled.

I nodded in agreement, and continued to gather my things.

I stalked upstairs to the smell of waffles, and feasted on my chocolate chip waffles.

"Good morning." Ezra greeted me, standing by the stove.

Em grabbed her plate and joined me at the table.

I looked back at Ezra, not saying a word.

'He tried.' Em mouthed.

I pulled out my phone, and texted her.

Me: I'm still mad at him.

Em: I know, he doesn't deserve a good morning right now.

Em: I'm mad at them too :).

I looked up from my phone, and rose an eyebrow.

"So, are you ladies ready for conferences?" Toby asked.

I exchanged a glance with Em, and began to type:

Me: Do not engage in conversation.

Em: Just ignore them.

"Ah the silent treatment." Caleb remarked.

Em: If they weren't such assholes, they wouldn't get this treatment.

Me: Hey! I still may be mad at my asshole, but he's my husband.

Em: Okay, okay.

Me: He is an asshole though.

Em burst into laughter, and the three guys looked at us.

Em: Don't engage in eye contact.

Me: Kay.

I heard three plates hit the table, and looked up to see Ali, Hanna, and Spencer join us.

They whipped out their phones and texted us as well.

Em: We're giving them the silent treatment.

Hanna: Got it.

Ali: Works for me, they're assholes.

Em&amp;I: Agreed.

Spencer: Did you just call our husbands assholes?

Em&amp;I: Yes.

Spencer: Oh, assholes.

Hanna: I wonder how it says when we chorus assholes.

"Morning princess." Caleb greeted Hanna.

We all chorused, "Assholes."

Hanna choked back a giggle, and we resumed to texting.

Em and I cleared our plates, and I grabbed a sticky note from a counter.

'Thanks for having us Caleb. ~The girls.'

Ali, Spencer, and Hanna rose as well, and we grabbed our bags.

"Where are you going?" Caleb asked.

We called for our kids, and left the household, leaving the guys in shock.

I hopped in my car with Em and Sarah, as Ali, Spencer, and Hanna headed off to their jobs.

I dropped Jonathan and Sarah off at their babysitters, and I drove Em and I to work.

"Lunch later?" Em asked me as we got out of my car at Rosewood High School.

"I'd love to!" I exclaimed.

I said goodbye to Em as we entered our classrooms and I waited for the first parent to arrive.

Around twelve, I had already gotten through seven of my conferences.

I met up with Em, and we drove to the Rosewood Mall shopping center to pick up a quick lunch. I pulled into the drive-thru of Taco Bell, and ordered Em and I quesalupas.

I passed Em her taco, and we ate in the parking lot of Taco Bell.

"I love the quesalupa." I moaned.

"It's so good." Em agreed.

"I mean extra cheese anything is amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Agreed." Em said with a grin.

"So what are you going to do about Ezra?" Em asked.

"Well I kind of have a feeling that Ezra didn't agree in the first place, I hope he didn't." I began.

"But he went along with it anyways." Em finished.

"Exactly, which he shouldn't have done." I concluded.

"I mean, it's our blood. We should've had a say in what to do with it." Em pointed out.

"Well obviously we didn't decide soon enough." I retorted.

"It was Hanna's birthday dinner, we couldn't just ruin her birthday." Em pointed out.

"Exactly, but it was already ruined." I sighed.

"Melissa just had to come and screw things up." Em sighed as well.

"We'll never know what she wanted to tell us." I pointed out.

"Aria, do you think she's -A?" Em asked.

"I don't think she's -A, -A, but she probably worked with -A. Since -A sent the message about two down one to go." I replied.

"Good point. Melissa's always been a little suspicious, don't you think?" Em asked, taking another bite of her quesalupa.

I nodded, answering her question.

"Poor Spence." I whispered.

"I can't even imagine what she's going through." Em stated.

"It's pretty terrible." I agreed.

"I mean, your sister tries to kill you. You love-loved her, and she's gone." Em sighed.

"Melissa always had something against Spencer, she ruined portions of Spencer's life." I pointed out.

"I know, but they had just mended their relationship!" Em exclaimed.

"It fell apart again." I sighed.

"Poor Wren." Em murmured.

"For all we know, he could be part of the -A team." I pointed out.

"Wouldn't you keep tabs on where your pregnant wife is going?" I asked.

"Yeah, I always made sure where Ali was going, and if she was okay. I'm sure Wren found out." Em agreed.

"Which Wren won't tell Spencer though." I sighed.

"Spencer will be furious, she will get answers." Em stated.

"Knowing Spencer, she has something planned." I agreed.

"I hope Toby doesn't think that it was his fault." Em murmured.

"God no!" I exclaimed.

I added, "It was -A's fault. It was self defense. He shouldn't even blame himself, he was protecting us. I know how I felt with Shana, and it was terrible."

"Gosh Aria. I almost forgot!" Em exclaimed.

"You went through the same thing." She whispered, giving my hand a squeeze.

"After it passed, I learned that I did the right thing. I defended you guys, and saved our lives." I murmured.

"Which I am forever grateful for." Em assured me.

"I'm grateful for Toby stepping in, without him, we might not be here." Em said with tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm glad we're done conferences, I wouldn't want to cry in front of them." Em told me.

We got out of the car to throw our trash away, and I gave Em a hug.

"I know Em. I'm still processing everything too." I assured her.

"It's crazy. We keep almost dying." Em sighed.

"We can't almost die anymore." I agreed.

We hopped back into the car, and drove off when I recieved a phone call.

"Its Spence." I told Em.

"Do you think it's about Melissa?" Em asked.

I shrugged, "Or -A?"

"What if the guys ran off again?" Em asked.

"They will be in so much trouble." I told her.

"Hanna will really be pissed then." Em agreed.

"Answer it for me please." I told Em.

I passed my phone to Em, who put it on speaker as we drove off.

"SOS." Spence said.

"What happened?" Em asked.

"We have an unexpected visitor." Spence added.

"Who?" Em and I asked.

"Wren." Spencer whispered.

"Are you there alone?" I asked.

"No, Toby's here too." She assured us.

"Be careful." Em told her.

"We're on our way." I told her.

"Okay, the others are too." Spence said as I hung up.

I sped towards Spencer's house to find out information.


	16. Chapter 16

One Big Happy Family:

Previously:

"We have an unexpected visitor." Spence added.

"Who?" Em and I asked.

"Wren." Spencer whispered.

"Are you there alone?" I asked.

"No, Toby's here too." She assured us.

"Be careful." Em told her.

"We're on our way." I told her.

"Okay, the others are too." Spence said as I hung up.

I sped towards Spencer's house to find out information.

Ch 16

Spencer POV:

"Spencer." Wren sobbed.

I rose from the couch and wrapped my arms around him.

I began to cry as well, trying to hold my emotions in.

"She died too soon." I whispered, pulling away.

He nodded, and I gestured for him to join me on the couch.

"Spencer, she- she went out one night. I was scared, so I followed her." He began, putting his face in his hands.

"What happened Wren?" I asked him.

"She went to a building. It was abandoned, a three hour drive to get there. I crept up to the doorway, it was locked. When I peaked in the windows I-I, I saw Mike, Mona, Jason, and CeCe." He sighed.

"You saw them?" I asked.

He nodded, "I ran. As fast as I could, I had to go home to the kids."

"Did Melissa see you?" I asked.

"When I went home, Melissa came back when I woke up the next morning. I noticed that she was out late, and she explained that she was seeing a college friend, catching up, and spent the night since she was out late." He answered.

"God. That's terrible." I sighed.

"She lied to me, straight to my face." Wren stated.

"That's Melissa for you." I told him, earning a 'you're not helping' glare.

"Did you ever see any further suspicion?" I asked him.

He shook his head no, "She probably went out when I was working."

"God. The kids were probably alone, or spending time with my parents." He sighed and began to run his hands through his hair.

"When did you see Melissa do this?" I asked him.

"Christmas." He sighed.

"But Mike is dead." I whispered.

"Apparently not." Wren sighed.

"Wren you have to tell the police." I told him.

"I can't." He sighed.

"But you will." I told him.

"Are you threatening me?" He asked, defensive.

I took his hand in mine, "Wren. This is a murder case. Trust me, I know best to never lie to the force. This could help the Montgomerys out with their sons 'death.' "

"I can't." He repeated.

Toby stepped in, and looked at Wren.

"But you will." Toby murmured.

Toby then flashed his phone screen in Wren's face, with a video of the interaction.

"Don't send it!" Wren screamed.

"Already did." Toby whispered.

The doorbell rang, and Wren stood up and began to back up.

I opened the door, and let the police officers in.

"Wren Kingston, we need to ask you some questions about your wife." An officer told him.

Wren looked back at us, and nodded towards the officers, exiting the door.

The officer nodded his head at me, and I closed the door behind them.

"Good work." I told Toby.

I heard the doorbell ring, and stood up once again.

At the door were the girls.

"Where's Wren?" Hanna asked.

"Gone." I replied, letting them in.

"What do you mean gone?" Emily asked.

"Wren told me some information, which Toby got on tape, and the police took him in for questioning." I told them.

"What did he tell you?" Ali asked.

"Wren saw Melissa with CeCe, Mike, Mona, and Jason at an abandoned home." I told them.

"So they were meeting." Aria whispered.

"It gets worse." I murmured.

"He saw them on Christmas." I added.

Aria's mouth dropped open.

"Mike's alive?" She asked.

I nodded, and she just stood there, speechless.

"Mona was never dead." Hanna pointed out.

"Melissa may not be dead." I whispered.

"They said they found her body, did they really?" I asked.

"I mean, she could've run off with CeCe." I suggested.

"Run away from her family?" Hanna asked.

"Her two month old child?" Aria asked.

"Good point." I muttered.

"But it's Melissa we're talking about here." Emily sighed.

"Turn on the TV, there might be news." Ali stated.

We sat down on the couch, and I turned on the local news channel.

As we turned on the TV, the doorbell rang.

"Not again." I groaned.

"I'll get it." Toby told me.

I nodded my thanks as he stalked off towards the door.

The voices of Caleb and Ezra entered the room.

"Are you okay Hanna?" Caleb asked her.

Hanna looked away, refusing to answer.

"Han, please, talk to me." He begged.

"I've been getting the silent treatment too." Ezra chipped in, looking at me.

"Why are you mad at us?" Toby asked.

"You know why." Ali answered.

"We were trying to protect you." Caleb protested.

"It wasn't right that you spilled our blood without our consent," I spoke up.

"You guys could've gone to jail." Aria added.

"Aria, sweetheart, I never would want to go to jail and leave you and Jonathan." Ezra sighed, reaching towards her.

"But you went along with it anyways." Aria pointed out.

"All of you did." Hanna concluded.

"Hanna, I'm sorry, okay?" Caleb threw up his hands.

"It isn't exactly fun to wake up early in the morning, locked in a room." Hanna scowled.

"In which I had to crawl in a freaking vent to unlock the girls from the room!" Aria yelled.

"You guys could've stayed where you were and waited for us to get back." Toby stated.

"You knew we wouldn't." I pointed out.

"Can't you just let us go for once?" Ezra asked.

"No." Aria scowled.

"We had to leave our kids. You left our kids. What if they came downstairs looking for their daddies and uncles and they needed something?" I pointed out.

"I didn't think about that." Caleb whispered.

"Of course you didn't!" Hanna exclaimed.

"I did." Ezra whispered.

"But you followed their path Ezra." Aria murmured.

"You didn't have to be a follower, you could've stayed." She whispered.

"But he would have told you guys. We needed Ezra with us. He wanted to protect you." Toby told her.

"Ezra can speak for himself." Aria told him, crossing her arms.

"Toby." I warned him.

"Yeah, Ezra, what do you have to say?" Toby asked.

"Stop!" Hanna screamed.

"Stop fighting with each other!" She yelled.

Everyone stopped and looked at her.

"Listen, I'm still pissed at you. Can we not jump on each other though? It's hurting everyone." Hanna sighed.

"I'm sorry." Toby whispered.

Aria nodded her acceptance, and refocused her attention on Hanna.

"Can we just all sit here and forgive each other?" Hanna asked, lowering her voice.

"Ezra, can I talk to you privately?" I asked him.

"Toby, can I talk to you?" Spencer asked him.

"We need to talk." Hanna told Caleb.

"Is it okay if we go our separate ways and meet up tomorrow?" I asked the girls.

They nodded, and walked out of the room.

Aria POV:

I sat down on the couch with Ezra, and I looked at him for a while.

So much has happened in the last 24 hours, and I just can't control it.

I curled up with Ezra, and sobbed into his chest.

"I'm here Aria." He assured me.

"Melissa's dead." I whispered.

Ezra nodded, "I know."

"I could be dead." I whispered.

"Aria, don't think about that!" Ezra exclaimed.

"Wouldn't it be better?" I asked.

"For all of us!" I exclaimed.

"Aria never say that!" Ezra exclaimed, pulling away.

"That is not true!" He added.

"Maybe it should be." I muttered.

"I'm going to give you some space." Ezra told me.

Ezra stalked off upstairs, and I sat on my couch and sobbed.

I felt myself drifting to sleep, and when I woke up, I was still on the couch.

"Ezra!" I called.

I stalked upstairs, and he wasn't in the office.

I checked the bedroom, nothing.

I peered into Jonathan's room, where he was sleeping soundly taking a nap.

"He already picked Jonathan up." I muttered.

I headed back downstairs, and pulled out my phone.

I had 7 missed calls from Spencer, and I quickly called her.

"Aria!" Spencer and Hanna both exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, my husband is gone." Hanna stated.

"Mine too." I whispered.

"Toby's gone as well." Spencer added.

"I'm coming over Spence, give me five minutes." I told her and hung up.

I walked over to Jonathan's bed, and lightly shook him.

He opened his eyes slowly, and smiled.

"Hi baby, want a play date with Mikey?" I asked him.

He nodded eagerly, and I helped him get dressed into some clothes.

Once Jonathan was all ready, I led him outside, and we walked to Spencers.

Spencer and Hanna greeted my at the door, and I put Jonathan up in Mikey's room.

Spencer led me down to the basement, and I asked, "Why aren't Em and Ali here?"

"It's our husbands, our business." Spencer concluded.

"Okay." I shrugged.

"Where did they go?" I asked them.

Spencer looked at Hanna, and I followed her gaze.

Hanna took her phone from her pocket, and spoke up.

"After the incident, I learned from one of Caleb's work friends how to track him. Well, I can now." She explained.

"Where are they?" I asked her.

She pulled out her phone, showing a map with a small car going down a road.

"Ravenswood." She whispered.

I ran my hands through my hair, and sat down on the couch.

"Why are they back there?" I asked them.

"Something with the blood." Spencer guessed.

"We have to go!" I exclaimed.

They nodded in agreement.

"Should we take Em and Ali?" I asked them.

At my words, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Spencer told us.

When she swung open the door, Emily and Alison stood there.

"Have you been crying?" Em asked me, walking into the house.

"How did you know we were here?" Hanna asked her.

"I saw you leave the house." Ali shrugged.

"Why were you meeting without us?" Em asked with a pout.

"It looked important." Ali budged.

Spencer, Hanna, and I exchanged a look.

"Tell us." Em demanded.

"Where's Toby?" Ali asked.

"Gone." Spencer whispered.

"Along with Ezra and Caleb." I added.

"Not again." Em groaned.

"Wait, how did you guys realize they were gone?" I asked the girls.

"When I got home,Caleb suggested I should take a nap, I agreed, and slept in the guestroom downstairs. I took the keys with me, and locked the door behind me. Well, when I woke up, I discovered that Caleb was gone." Hanna explained.

Spencer spoke up, "Same story here. Well minus the guestroom couch."

"Same with me." I concluded.

"So, they all just mysteriously suggested that we should get some rest." Hanna muttered.

"It must've been a good opportunity for them to escape." Ali pointed out.

"What do you guys want to do?" Em asked.

"We wait." Spencer, Hanna, and I chorused.

"Woah." Hanna whispered.

"It's better to wait." I stated.

"Plus, we couldn't possibly get the parents here in enough time to watch the kids." Spencer sighed.

"Where's Bella and Sarah?" I asked Hanna, Em, and Ali.

"Taking a nap." They chorused.

"We should go somewhere." I suggested.

Everyone turned their heads at me.

"We should go off somewhere too, take the kids somewhere fun." I added.

"That sounds like a great plan!" Spencer exclaimed.

"We should turn our phones off, so the guys can't track us or anything." Hanna stated.

"We my as well just leave them." Spence suggested.

We all whipped our heads back at her.

"What if it's important?" I asked.

"We'll bring my mom with us." Hanna stated.

We all looked at Hanna, letting her continue.

"If someone can't reach us, they'll know to call our parents. Everyone in Rosewood knows their in town." Hanna shrugged.

"We should keep the phones in Ashley's hotel room." Ali whispered.

"Ali and I will bring our phones. Someone has to be able to reach everyone." Em pointed out.

We nodded.

"Alright, we'll get Sarah and take our car." Emily stated.

"Spence and I can buddy up and take Mikey and Jonathan." I added.

"Bella and I can ride with my mom." Hanna finished.

"Wait, but shouldn't Ali and Em split up?" I asked.

"We need one phone per car." I added.

"Alright, I'll ride with Spence and Aria." Em concluded.

"I won't drive alone, so I'll tag along with Hanna, with Sarah." Ali finished.

"Where are we going?" Spencer asked.

"The Country Club." Em stated.

We all nodded at the plan, and I piled into Spencer's car with her, Em, and the kids.

I rode shotgun, and Em sat in between the kids in the back. The kids snuggled up in Em's lap, and I admired how cute they were.

"Ready?" Spence asked.

I nodded, along with Em, and we drove off.

The two kids communicated in their own way, and Em just went on her phone.

"Caleb's calling me." Em stated.

"Turn it off." Spencer commanded.

Em pressed the top of her phone, and her home button to power it off. "Done." She announced.

Spencer's ringtone went off in the car.

"Incoming Call from Toby." The car announced.

"Decline." Spencer commanded.

"Call declined." The car replied.

Nearly a minute later, "Incoming Call from Toby."

"Block caller." Spencer commanded.

"Caller blocked." The car finished.

Emily told us, "I'm gonna turn my phone back on. Ali and Ashley are probably getting calls too."

"Twenty missed calls from Caleb. Forty five missed calls from Ezra. Twentyfive from Toby." Em announced.

"I'm calling Ali, she's going on speaker." Em announced.

"Hello!" Ali called.

"Hey babe, did Caleb call you?" Em asked.

"I have twenty missed calls from him, forty five from Ezra, and twentyfive from Toby." Ali stated.

"Me too." Em told her.

"They sure are desperate." Ali sighed.

"Are you sure you girls want to go through with this?" Ashley asked, speaking up.

"We should go home." I muttered.

"Let's just take everyone to the mall." Ali suggested.

"I have to make a run to the store anyways." Hanna added.

"Okay, the mall and back home." Spencer agreed.

"I have a call from Maya." I told everyone.

"Answer it!" Em exclaimed.

"You're calling Maya?" Ali asked.

"Sorry babe, I'll see you at the mall." Em told her and hung up.

"Hey Maya." I answered.

"Aria, I can't talk long." Maya whispered.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I found Grunwald's body." Maya whispered.

"Where?" I asked.

"In the Grille's storage room." Maya muttered.

"Oh my god." I whispered.

"What? What's happening?" Em asked.

"I've gotta go Aria, a staff member just went in there." Maya told me and hung up.

"What happened?" Spencer demanded.

"They found Grunwald's body." I whispered.

"Where?" Em asked.

"The Grille." I told them.

Both of their faces flushed with mine at the words, and we proceeded to the mall in silence.

"We have to go to the Grille." Em whispered.

"We can't." I stated.

"Em, it's a crime scene. We've already been accused of enough. We can't afford to be arrested." I sighed.

I exited the car, and Em unbuckled the kids.

I scooped up Jonathan, and we headed inside the mall.

Ali, Hanna, Ashley, Sarah, and Bella were waiting at the entrance.

"Let's go to Fab." Hanna told us.

I nodded, and we entered the mall.

We passed all of our favorite stores, including the Apple Store.

A man came running out of the Apple store.

"Keep walking." Hanna stated.

"Hanna! Hanna!" He called.

Hanna sped towards Fabulous with Bella, and up into her office.

The rest of us followed her, and a few of her employees stood inside.

"Kendra, Jane." Hanna stated.

"Caleb's been calling." Kendra stated.

"Along with men named Ezra and Toby." Jane added.

"Ignore it." Ali told them.

"They seemed desperate ma'am." Jane told Ali.

Ali shot Jane a look, and she scurried out of the office.

"They're gonna find us." I told Hanna.

"Go." Hanna stated.

"All of you." She added.

"Go shopping." She sighed.

"But what if the guys find us?" Spencer asked.

"If they find us, they find us. We have a right to be here." Hanna declared.

Hanna set her purse down at her desk, and Ashley looked back and forth between us.

"I'm going to take Bella shopping." Ashley sighed, scooping up the little one.

"Ali, let's go take Sarah somewhere." Em suggested.

I looked at Spence and she nodded.

Before we could exit the door leading to the main floor, there was a pounding outside the door.

Spencer jumped in shock of the pounding, and Hanna rose from her seat.

"Mom, Em, Ali, take the kids out of here." Hanna told them.

The three nodded, and took the elevator down to the mall's main floor.

I opened the door to see Caleb, Ezra, and Toby outside.

Caleb slammed the door behind him, and the three stood with crossed arms.

"You think you can just leave us?" Caleb bellowed.

Hanna jumped in shock of his voice.

Hanna's office phone went off, and she bent down to answer it.

"Don't answer it." Caleb stated.

Hanna looked back and forth between each person, and answered the phone.

"This is Fabulous, Hanna Rivers speaking." She answered.

"I"m fine Kendra." She stated.

"Yes, I'm sure." She added.

"It's okay." She whispered.

"Okay, bye." She finished and hung up.

"Kendra was alarmed at the noise coming from upstairs, along with my customers. She wanted to make sure that I'm okay." Hanna told Caleb.

"Do you know what you did? Grunwald is dead." Spencer told them.

"We know." Ezra replied.

"Did you kill her?" I asked them.

"Of course not!" Caleb exclaimed.

We heard a knock on the door, and I opened it up a crack.

Ali entered the room, and shut the door behind her.

She looked at the three fuming men, and approached them.

"How dare you!" She exclaimed.

"You have some nerve you three. You came in here, and hurt my best friends. You hurt me too. Don't you see how much stress everyone is under? Especially Hanna!" She yelled.

"You think you can just parade off without telling people where you're going?" She asked.

"Ali-" I began.

"Aria, please." Ali whispered.

"Your wives here have to chase you ever freaking time!" Ali exclaimed.

"It is not their responsibility." She whispered.

"Think about it. We don't want to sit around all day waiting for you. They have a right to go out places, not to mention, in Rosewood." She scolded them.

"Aria I'm-" Ezra began.

"Save it." I muttered.

"If you were truly sorry the first time, you wouldn't have done it the second time." I scowled.

"You know what Ezra, I totally was going to forgive you. You know that?" I asked him.

"Of course not." I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

"You guys have to work something out before the birthday party for the kids." Ali told us.

"It's the wrong month to be fighting." She added.

I exchanged a look with Ezra, and I turned away.

"Why did you leave?" Hanna asked Caleb.

"Hanna, I-" Caleb begun.

Hanna cut him off, "I know. I know. 'You can't tell me.' Well listen, you're gonna have to."

Caleb looked at Toby and Ezra.

"I'm sorry." Caleb whispered.

"Caleb, what's happening?" Hanna asked him.

"Ezra?" I asked.

"Toby?" Spencer asked, squeezing my hand while I squeezed Hanna's.

"Mona's dead." They chorused.

Hanna fell to the floor, and I immediately did as well.

"Hanna." I whispered.

"No. No." She sobbed.

"Mona's dead?" I asked them, tears still streaming down my face.

Spencer began to cry as well, and a few tears welled up in Ali's eyes.

I wrapped my arms around Hanna and held her.

"It's not going to be okay, is it?" Hanna asked me.

I hesitated, and then truthfully replied, "No."

Spencer wrapped her arms around Hanna and i, while Ali just stood there giving death glares to the three men.

"You killed her didn't you?" Hanna sobbed.

"You killed Mona." I whispered.

"They killed Mona." Spencer whispered.

"What the hell were you thinking, you're going to get arrested!" I screamed.

"We didn't kill Mona." Caleb answered.

"Well then who did?" Hanna scowled.

"Wren." Ezra whispered.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Wren's going to go to prison, and no one can take care of the children!" I exclaimed.

"He already has." Toby whispered.

"I have to fly to England." Spencer muttered.

"I have to call my mom!" Spencer exclaimed.

Ali handed Spence her phone, and she nodded her thanks.

Spencer took the phone, and excused herself from the office.

Spencer POV:

"Excuse me." I told the girls.

I headed outside of the mall, and onto a bench.

I decided to call Wren's parents first, I needed to know what was going to happen to my nieces and nephews.

"Spencer." Mrs. Kingston sobbed.

Tears began to flow down my face at the sound of her voice.

"How are the kids?" I asked her.

"Not well." She sighed.

"When I told them- Bethany stormed to the guestroom and locked it. Aaron began to cry, and Matt cried at his siblings crying." She explained.

"I'm going to fly out tonight." I told her.

"Spencer you-" She began.

"I have to. They are my nieces and nephews." I told her.

"Okay." She agreed.

"I'll go straight to your house, I promise." I told her.

"Fly safe." She whispered.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered.

"I know." She replied and hung up.

I buried my face in my hands and sighed.

This was so screwed up.

"Spence." I voice whispered.

I lifted up my hands to see Toby next to me on the bench.

"I'm so sorry." Toby whispered.

I wrapped my arms around him and he held me tight for quite a long time.

"Toby, we have to take the kids." I whispered.

"What?" He asked.

"Just for a little bit." I promised him.

"They need a loving home. Wren's parents are so old, and my mom can't take care of them." I sighed.

"Alright Spence, we'll do it." He agreed.

"Fly out with me?" I asked him.

"Of course." He whispered.

"This doesn't mean that I forgive you." I told him.

"I know." He nodded.

"Come on, let's get back inside before Hanna kills Caleb." Toby told me.

I nodded, and we walked back in silence.

When we reached the office floor, I could hear screams from outside.

I rushed into the room to see Hanna screaming at Caleb.

"Hanna! Stop!" I yelled.

Hanna backed away from him, and slowly turned to face me.

"Hanna, you're pregnant, this isn't good for you." I told her.

Toby entered the room with a bottle of water which he handed to Hanna.

"Caleb Rivers, what did you do?" I asked him.

He sighed and shook his head.

I handed Hanna a box of tissues.

"Let's go home." I told her.

At those words, there was a knock on the door.

Ashley and Emily entered with the kids.

"Mama!" Bella exclaimed, running to Hanna.

Hanna scooped her up and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Mikey stood there, hugging my legs.

I tore him off of my legs, and headed downstairs with the others.

"Are you coming home?" Toby asked me.

"I have to make a quick stop at the treehouse, I will be." I told him.

He nodded and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

I buckled Mikey up, and Aria buckled Jonathan.

I hopped into the driver's seat, and Aria rode shotgun as we headed home.

I pulled into my driveway, and dropped Mikey and Jonathan off.

I walked with Em and Aria across the street to Em's backyard.

We sprinted up the spiral steps and into the treehouse.

I lay down on the rug and put my head on a throw pillow.

I heard a small knock on the door, and Em swung it open to reveal Ali and Hanna.

Ali wrapped her arms around me, and I wrapped my arms around her.

I gave Han a quick hug, and we all sat down on the rug.

"So." Em whispered.

"So." Aria echoed.

"I'm going to England tonight." I told the girls.

"Really?" Hanna asked.

I nodded, "Toby and I are gonna take the kids in for a little."

"Wow Spence, that's huge." Em gushed.

I nodded in agreement, "They need a loving, caring home."

"You'll be back for the party?" Ali asked me.

"Of course." I told her.

"I'm flying back the next day." I added.

"I'm excited to have them around!" I exclaimed.

"Us too, Hanna and I will hook Bethany up with some clothes." Ali assured us.

"I'm sure she'll love that." I told her.

"So you forgave Toby?" Aria asked me.

"Not exactly." I sighed.

"I will." I added.

"I'm going to talk to Ezra about it tonight." Aria stated.

"Caleb and I will have a talk as well." Hanna assured us.

"I've gotta get going guys. I have to pack Mikey's stuff to stay with my mom overnight. Toby and I have to pack for England." I told them.

"Call us." Ali told me, tossing me my phone.

She handed Aria her phone as well, and I waved goodbye.

I locked the treehouse door behind me, and headed down the spiral staircase.

I locked that gate door behind me, and walked across the street.

Toby and Mikey stood in the doorway as Toby swung open the door, letting me in.

"Hi handsome." I greeted Mikey.

I scooped him up, and pressed a kiss to Toby's cheek.

I headed upstairs to Mikey's room, and packed all of his essentials.

By the time I was done packing Mikey's stuff, I still had three hours to get ready.

The doorbell rang, and I stalked downstairs.

At the door was Veronica with her purse over her shoulder.

"Hi Mom." I greeted her, letting her in.

"Thanks for taking care of Mikey." I told her.

"No problem. Tell the Kingstons that I wish them my best." Veronica told me.

I nodded, and walked Mikey and his things out with her.

I loaded Veronica's trunk with his things, and buckled him into the car with his car seat.

I pressed a kiss to his forehead, and waved as they drove off.

Toby stood at the door watching.

I greeted him as I headed inside, and began to pack for the seven hour flight ahead.

Hanna POV:

"How did you know who killed Mona?" I asked Caleb as I closed our bedroom door behind me.

"We saw it." Caleb whispered.

"Where?" I asked him.

"At Mona's hideout." He sighed.

"Did Wren know you were there?" I demanded.

"Yes. He saw us." He sighed.

"Did you try to stop it?" I asked.

He nodded, "Wren had Mona pinned against the wall. The gun was right to her face."

"She was begging him, 'Don't kill me.' 'Please don't.' When Toby yelled to stop, and shoved Wren, she got hit." Caleb explained.

Tears began to well up in his eyes, "Her last words were to tell Hanna that it wasn't her. To find him."

"Find who?" I asked.

"I don't know." He sighed.

"Mike." I whispered.

"What?" He asked.

"She want's me to find Mike. He has the answers." I explained.

"How are we supposed to do that?" He asked.

"Clues." I answered.

"And Spencer." I added with a chuckle.

"Mona wants to explain that it wasn't Melissa's fault. Melissa didn't do anything wrong." I sighed.

"Do you believe her?" Caleb asked me.

I nodded, "Do you?"

He nodded as well.

"We have to tell the girls." I told him.

"I think you've all had enough for one day." Caleb told me.

"But-" I began.

"Aria will already know, it's her decision to tell the others." Caleb assured me.

"Take a nap." Caleb suggested.

I threw my head back and laughed.

"Just so you can leave me again?" I asked.

"I'll be right here." He promised me.

I nodded and drifted off to sleep.

Aria POV:

"Wait, so you're telling me that it wasn't Melissa's fault that she tried to murder us?" Em asked me.

I shrugged, "That might be what Mona's trying to tell us."

"Knowing Mona, we have to dig up clues." Ezra spoke up.

I looked around the living room at Emily, Ali, and Ezra. Right here, right now, we were devising a plan.

"We can't make a plan without Spence." I told them.

"We can't wait!" Ali exclaimed.

"Well we're going to have to. Toby's the only one who owns a gun, and we need Spencer's help. We need someone who can think like Mona." I demanded.

Em and Ali exchanged a look.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, Hanna's a DiLaurentis too-" Ali began.

"Oh lord." I sighed.

Jason POV:

"Did you book the tickets?" A female voice asked.

"Yes." Mike and I chorused.

"Well, it looks like we're making a surprise trip to Rosewood." CeCe grinned, stepping into the room.


	17. Chapter 17

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

Jason POV:

"Did you book the tickets?" A female voice asked.

"Yes." Mike and I chorused.

"Well, it looks like we're making a surprise trip to Rosewood." CeCe grinned, stepping into the room.

Ch 17

Spencer POV:

"Ready?" Toby asked me.

I nodded, and rang the doorbell to the Hastings-Kingston household.

I stifled back a yawn, and checked my phone.

It was currently two o'clock in the morning, and Toby and I had been flying for over seven hours.

The door swung open revealing Mrs. Kingston.

"Spencer!" She exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.

I wrapped my arms around her as Toby stood anxiously behind me with our luggage.

"Hello Toby." stated, looking over my shoulder.

"Come on in." She told us.

"I know you must be tired, you know where the guest room is." She told us.

"Thank you." Toby and I chorused.

I grabbed a suitcase from Toby, and we headed upstairs.

"Auntie Spence?" A voice called.

I peeked my head into a pink room to see Bethany on her bed.

I gave Toby a look to wait for me, and I headed inside of the room.

I shut the door softly behind me, and joined sitting Bethany on her bed.

"It's me kiddo." I told her, taking in the image of her tear stained face, and dark bags under her eyes.

"Did I wake you?" I asked her.

"No." She whispered with a soft sniffle.

"Don't tell grandma, she doesn't know I'm awake. I'm supposed to be asleep." She added.

I nodded in response.

"Try to get some sleep for me, okay?" I asked her.

"I'll try." She replied.

I smiled and squeezed her hand.

As I arose from the bed and headed towards the doorway, Bethany added, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." I murmured.

I shut the door behind me, and headed into the guest room.

"Isn't it past her bedtime?" Toby asked me.

I nodded, "She couldn't sleep."

"I wouldn't blame her." Toby murmured.

"I don't know how she'll get past this." I sighed, putting on my pajamas.

"We'll help." Toby pointed out.

"I know, but the only way that Bethany's going to get better, is with time." I told him.

He nodded, and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Goodnight Tobes." I cooed.

"Goodnight Spence." He returned.

I hopped under the covers, and wrapped my arms around his waist, as I fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, I heard a voice, "Auntie Spence?"

I opened my eyes to see Bethany leaning over me.

I looked over, and Toby's eyes were still glued shut.

Quickly, I grabbed a sticky note and wrote, 'Go back to sleep. Bethany couldn't fall asleep. I'll see you in the morning. -Spence.'

I took Bethany's hand as we crept out of the guestroom, and I shut the door softly behind me.

We headed into her room, and I shut her bedroom door behind me.

I sat down on the bed with her, and sighed.

"It's not going to be easy to get some sleep." I told her.

She nodded, "I know."

Tears began to run down her face, and I wiped them away.

Her head fell into her hands, and I lifted her head up.

Her eyes met mine and I told her, "I miss them too."

She wrapped her arms around me, and I held her tight as tears spilled out of our eyes.

I heard a soft knock at the door, and opened it up to see Aaron, followed by Matt.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked, closing the door behind him.

"She misses your parents." I told them.

For once, Matt didn't have a smile on his face.

He took in our appearances, and frowned.

"I do too." Aaron told me.

I beckoned the kids to the bed, and gathered them in my arms.

"Hey, I love you guys so much, you know that right?" I asked them.

Bethany nodded, "You're all we have Auntie Spence."

"Hey! You have Uncle Toby too, and your grandma and grandpa. You also have my mom, your other grandma too!" I told them.

"Where has your grammie been sleeping?" I asked Bethany.

"On the pull out couch." Bethany told me.

"I have a great idea." I told her.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm going to tell you a bedtime story in your mommy's room, and we can all sleep their together." I told them.

"This way, if you have a bad dream, or can't sleep, I'll be right there." I finished.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Bethany exclaimed.

Aaron nodded in agreement.

I scooped up Matt, and grabbed Bethany's hand, as we headed to Melissa's room.

Once we got inside, the kids ran onto the king bed.

"Alright guys, are you ready?" I asked them.

"Tell us about how you met Uncle Toby!" Bethany exclaimed.

"Okay, okay." I told her.

I began the story, "Once upon a time, there was a boy and a girl. The boy's name was Toby and the girl's name was Spencer. Well, they were teenagers. You may think that we were two different people, but these people didn't know it, but they were meant to be. Now, Toby was misunderstood. People thought he was scary, and they didn't want to be around him. The truth is, Uncle Toby is one of the most gentle people ever. Toby had an evil stepsister, Jen- Maggie. Yeah, Maggie. Maggie was blind, and didn't really like me. You guys remember my friends right?"

Aaron nodded, "The pretty ones right?"

I nodded, "Pretty huh?"

"Of course the fairest of them all, Auntie Spence." I bragged with a small curtsy.

The three giggled at this, which brought a smile to my face as well.

I continued, "Well. I never liked Maggie. Maggie had something on us, something that she could make rumors about us with. Toby needed a French tutor, and let me tell you, your Auntie Spence is so smart! Your mommy though, she is- was definitely smarter than me. Well, I volunteered to be Toby's French tutor. When I went to Toby's house, he thought that I hated him. He thought that because my best friend disliked him at the time. He thought that I would feel the same way she did. I wanted to offer Toby help. Help with French and taking down his evil step sister. Toby was intrigued by this idea. Maggie unfortunately, eavesdropped on our conversation."

"How could she hear though?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron sweetie, when you're blind, you can't see. You can hear, smell, taste, and feel like everyone else. When you're deaf though, you can't hear. You can see, smell, taste, and feel like everyone else though." I chuckled.

"Ohhhh." He murmured.

I nodded and continued, "Maggie threatened Toby. Toby and I met in secret to devise this plan. One night, Toby and I pulled an all nighter to help us. We played Scrabble, which I am better than everyone else at. Toby though, he beat me. Only by a little bit though. Toby and I bonded that night, and the next morning, we both leaned in to kiss each other."

"Did you kiss?" Bethany urged.

I nodded, "We did. Neither one of us was expecting it. We both just let our feelings control the situation. Toby and I like liked each other. From then on, Toby and I were boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Wow!" Bethany cooed.

"I want a guy like Toby when I get older." She added.

"You will have an amazing husband." I told her.

"You have many years to go though." I added.

Matt let out a yawn, and I told the kids, "Bedtime!"

I crawled under the covers into the center of the king bed.

Matt curled up next to me, and Bethany lay on the other side of me.

Aaron was next to Bethany, and I looked over to see their eyes closed.

I closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep.

"Good morning, good morning!" A voice exclaimed.

I opened my eyes to see the kids sleeping next to me, and Toby marching into the room.

Bethany groggily opened her eyes, and the other kids woke up as well.

"Uncle Toby!" The kids chorused.

They ran over and gave Toby a huge hug.

"How are my favorite nieces and nephews?" He asked them.

"Don't tell Sarah, Jonathan, and Bella though." He added, looking at me.

"My turn!" I exclaimed.

I wrapped my arms around Toby.

"Good Morning!" I greeted.

"Good Morning!" He returned.

"Let's go down for breakfast." I suggested.

The kids followed Toby and I downstairs.

Once we reached the kitchen, I saw Mrs. Kingston making breakfast.

"Oh! You're awake!" She exclaimed.

"Good morning!" A voice called.

I spun around to see sitting down at the table.

I waved and focused my attention back on Mrs. Kingston.

"Pancakes okay?" She asked us.

Toby and I nodded.

"Thank you." I told her.

I joined Mr. Kingston at the kitchen table with Toby.

We sat the furthest possible from him, and stared at our plates.

"Did you get my son arrested?" Mr. Kingston asked.

"Jim-" Mrs. Kingston began.

He ignored her and repeated, "Did you get my son arrested?"  
"Stop it Jim." Mrs. Kingston told him.

"You got my son arrested, and now my grandchildren are practically orphans." He barked.

"No sir." Toby whispered.

"What did you say?" He asked, rising up.

"Listen Jim. You will not talk to my husband that way. Your son killed someone, and we were witnesses. We had to tell someone. We already have a lot going on in Rosewood, and I don't need your smack talk about it. Back off." I told him, rising from my seat.

"Not to mention that you are saying this in front of MY nieces and nephews." I added.

"Get out." He told me.

"You know what Jim? Who bought this house?" I asked him.

He looked up at me, silent.

"My mother." I told him.

"Which means that this is my sister's house, and my mother covered the payment. Therefore, you should get out. Now." I finished.

"You can't kick me out." He muttered/

"Actually, I can." I shrugged.

"Pack your bags." I told him.

He sat at the table.

"Spence, let's just go out for breakfast." Toby told me, pulling at my arm.

"No, he has no right to speak to you that way." I told him.

"C'mon Spence." He told me, leading me out of the room.

We exited the door and drove off in our rental car. I rode shotgun, and Toby drove.

"I hate him." I muttered.

"We never should've come here." Toby sighed.

"We should be in Rosewood right now." I added.

All of the sudden, my phone went off.

"Answer it." Toby commanded.

I answered the phone, "Hello."

"Spencer, please come back." Mrs. Kingston sighed.

"Does Jim want me back?" I asked her.

I looked over at Toby, 'Speaker' he mouthed.

I nodded.

"Jim's gone." She added.

"He is?" I asked.

Toby mouthed, 'Let's go!'

I mouthed, 'No way!"

'For the kids.' He mouthed.

I let out a deep sigh.

"We're coming." Toby told her.

We spun around and drove off to the Hastings- Kingston household.

I knocked on the door, and Mrs. Kingston let us in.

Toby rested his hands on my shoulders, as we stood in the doorway.

"I'm sorry about Jim." She whispered.

Silence.

I walked back to the table and dug into pancakes.

"These are good." Toby commented.

"Thank you." I muttered.

"Tell the kids what you wanted to tell them earlier." Mrs. Kingston insisted.

The kids looked at my anxiously.

I made eye contact with Toby, whom nodded.

"Alright, so-" I began.

"How would you feel if you came to America?" I asked them.

"Permanently?" Bethany asked.

"Just for a little bit." I told her.

"Cool!" Aaron exclaimed.

"That sounds great, but I don't wanna be away from school." Bethany stated.

"I know, but I want to take care of you guys for a while." I told her.

"Can we finish the school year here?" She asked me.

I exchanged looks with Toby and Mrs. Kingston.

"I'm sorry sweetie but I can't take care of you for much longer." Mrs. Kingston told her.

"Why not?" Bethany asked.

"I have to go back home, go back to work, go back to the activities at the club." She sighed.

"We don't have a choice, do we?" She whispered.

"We don't want to force you." Toby told her.

"I think we should go sis." Aaron whispered.

"There won't be anymore crying or too many memories, we can get away." He told her.

"True." She muttered.

"The funeral is in America, I'm sure you'd like to attend." Mrs. Kingston insisted.

"When do we leave?" Bethany asked me.

"Today." I told her.

"Today!" She exclaimed.

"Well, I better start packing." She sighed.

"There's old suitcases of Melissa's and Wren's in the attic, I can grab them." I told Mrs. Kingston.

"Of course." She nodded.

"I'll ship out most of the boxes kids, just pack your essentials for a few weeks." Mrs. Kingston told us.

"Bethany, will you help me pack Matt's stuff?" I asked her.

"Sure." She told me.

"Alright, let's get started." I whispered.

"I have extra room in my suitcase too, if you need it." I told Bethany.

I followed her upstairs, and Aaron followed Toby.

"I'll help with Matt." Mrs. Kingston told me.

I told Bethany, "I'll be right back, I'm heading to the attic."

"Do you have a suitcase?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Yes."

"I'll grab more." I told her.

Toby passed me a ladder and I climbed up to the attic's hatch.

I opened the hatch, and crawled inside.

Tons of boxes were stacked in a corner, and I went over to the large ones labeled, "Travel."

I grabbed a suitcase, and tossed it down.

I did the same with the three remaining suitcases in the attic.

I crawled back down the ladder, and grabbed a suitcase from the floor.

I wheeled the suitcase into Bethany's room, whom had her whole closet full of clothes laying on her bed.

"Ready?" I asked her.

She nodded.

I took the clothes and folded them one by one.

"Any clothes you don't want?" I asked her.

"Well, I've been looking for a way to tell my mum that I don't like my Christmas sweaters.." She began.

She ventured over to the bed and grabbed three sweaters from the pile.

"My grandmum can donate them to charity." She told me.

"Great idea!" I exclaimed.

Once Bethany had selected a few more items that she didn't want, two whole suitcases were already packed with her things.

I looked around at all of her stuffed animals and furniture.

She grabbed a few near her pillow, and threw them into the suitcase.

I grabbed a picture of her, Wren, Melissa, Matt, and Aaron from her nightstand.

"You want this right?" I asked her.

"Yes." She whispered.

I added it onto the pile of clothes.

"Make sure you have a bag for your hair brush and toothbrush." I reminded her.

"I can take it from here." She told me.

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Thank you."

I grabbed the full suitcase and wheeled it to the hallway, shutting the door behind me.

"Baby Spencer's awake." Mrs. Kingston told me/

"I'll take care of it." I told her.

I almost forgot about baby Spencer, whom has been silently napping this whole time.

I walked into the nursery, and looked down at Baby Spencer.

She made small noises, and wriggled around in her crib.

Tears began to run from my eyes, and I scooped her up.

I sat down on the small rocking chair with her, and sang, "Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird."

"You have a beautiful voice." A voice called.

I looked up to see Mrs. Kingston standing in the doorway.

"She's so precious." I told her.

"She needs you." Mrs. Kingston told me.

"She needs a mother." She added.

"She won't ever have one." I sighed.

"You could be her mother." Mrs. Kingston told me.

"Her legal guardian." She added.

"It's a lot to take on." I told her.

"I know." She whispered.

I wiped tears from my eyes, and set Spencer back in her bed.

"I should go check on Aaron." I told her.

She nodded.

I walked into Aaron's room, where he already had two suitcases full of things.

"I'll fit his stuff in my suitcase." Toby told me.

I nodded, "Alright."

"We're gonna have his blankets shipped out and everything." Toby added.

I nodded, "I'm gonna grab a sharpie to label the bags and some ribbon."

"Good idea." Toby told me.

I headed downstairs and called Veronica.

"Hey, how is everyone?" She asked.

"Holding up." I replied.

"What are you doing right now?" I asked her.

"Sitting around with Mikey, watching Dora." She told me.

"Is he dressed?" I asked.

"Yes, why?" She replied.

"I need you to do me a favor. Can you go out and buy the kids bedding? Please." I told her.

"Of course!" She exclaimed.

"It's the least I could do for my grandkids." She added.

"Thank you." I told her.

"Have the girls set everything up." I added.

"Alright, they'll be thrilled!" She exclaimed.

"Bye mom, love you." I told her.

"Love you too, tell everyone I said hi!" She returned.

"I will!" I exclaimed.

"Bye." She finished.

I hung up, and dug through the drawer of Melissa's kitchen.

Luckily, I found a Sharpie and some ribbon.

I headed upstairs and labeled the tags on the suitcases, "Bethany Kingston, Aaron Kingston, and Matthew Kingston."

I tied ribbon around the handles of each, and triple knotted it.

I peeked in where Matt had one suitcase full of his things.

I took the suitcase and placed it with the others.

"Take an hour to say goodbye." I told everyone.

"We'll fly back out soon." I promised them.

"Toby and I are going to head out for a little bit, we'll be back." I told Mrs. Kingston.

"Okay, call if you need anything." She finished.

"I will." I told her, closing the front door behind Toby and I.

"Where are we going?" Toby asked me.

"The local drugstore." I told him.

I told him to make a left, then continue straight, and make a right.

We arrived at a place that looked somewhat like CVS, and headed inside.

Toby and I went our separate ways, and I explored the store.

A section of travel pillows caught my eye, and I picked up three.

I grabbed three sets of cheap earbuds, and moved onto the candy aisle.

I grabbed a few gummies, and saw Toby in the next aisle.

"Hello!" I greeted him.

He waved around coloring books with crayons, blankets, and a sketchbook.

"Perfect." I told him.

We took the items up to the register, and purchased them.

On the ride home, Toby asked, "Why the earbuds?"

"I rented a few movies on my IPad that they can watch on the way." I told him.

"Good idea on the travel pillows." He told me.

"Thanks." I smiled.

I put the items all in a tote bag that I found in Melissa's home to give to the kids on the plane.

When we came back, we found Mr and Mrs. Kingston loading boxes for moving.

"We're gonna ship these ASAP." Mrs. Kingston told me.

"Thank you." I told her.

I headed upstairs to see the kids' rooms empty.

"Do you have a stroller and carrier for Spencer?" Mrs. Kingston asked me.

I nodded, "I found one earlier."

"Perfect." She told me.

I headed into Bethany's almost empty room, and closed the door.

"Hey Beth." I greeted her.

"Hey." She returned.

"I'm gonna need you to do me a favor." I told her.

"What's up?" She asked me.

"I'm gonna have to keep my eye on the baby a lot, and I need you to stay with Aaron and Matt at all times. Uncle Toby will help you out, but you need to make sure that no one wanders off and that we're all together." I explained.

"Okay, works for me." She replied.

"Thank you." I told her, squeezing her hand.

She nodded.

"Ready?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Ready."

I took her hand, and we both grabbed suitcases.

We headed outside and loaded the trunk of the rental car with the suitcases.

I kept the trunk open as we headed inside, greeted by Toby, carrying suitcases.

I headed back upstairs and grabbed baby Spencer on my hip.

Aaron and Matt were waiting for us downstairs, Aaron carrying suitcases.

"Buckle Matt in the back, load the car." I told Aaron.

He nodded and ventured outside.

Toby came back in and grabbed the stroller.

Mrs. Kingston followed us outside, as I strapped the baby into the car seat.

"I can never thank you." She told me.

"It's nothing." I insisted.

"Here." She told me, handing me an envelope.

"I can't accept this." I told her, feeling the weight of the cash.

"Please. It's what Melissa would've wanted." She insisted.

"Okay, thank you." I told her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Call me when you are home safe." She told me.

"I will." I replied.

She opened her arms for the kids, and said goodbye.

Once everyone was ready, we hopped into the car and drove off.

We drove to the airport, and returned the rental car.

We checked in our luggage, lessening the weight, and headed to security.

Spencer and I went through together, while Toby took the kids.

Once we went through security, we headed to our gate.

Toby sat the luggage down, and told me, "Watch the luggage. I'll get the kids food."

I nodded, and looked over at baby Spencer in her stroller.

"Looks like it's just you and me." I told her.

She smiled widely at me, and I returned the smile.

Soon enough, we began a game of peek a boo.

Toby interrupted us, handing me a sandwich, and coffee.

The kids dug into their food, and I took a bite of my sandwhich.

While Toby engaged in a conversation with the kids, I excused myself to call the girls.

I called Hanna, and said, "Hey guys."

"Spence! OMG, are you okay?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, I'm at the airport now." I told her.

"We're at the mall, shopping for bedding." Aria told me.

"Thanks guys." I told them.

"It's our pleasure." Em insisted.

"It really means a lot." I added.

"Where are you Spence? It seems loud." Ali spoke up.

"The airport." I replied.

"Oh okay." Ali returned.

"I just wanted to call you guys before we take off." I told them.

"Thanks Spence, we've been worried." Aria told me.

"I have too, I have to fly with four kids. Yikes." I told them.

"Good luck with that." Hanna chuckled.

"I'll try." I told her.

"I've gotta go, I'll see you guys later." I told them.

"Bye Spence!" They chorused.

I hung up and headed back to our seats.

Two hours later…

"Now boarding Flight 149." A voice announced.

After first class was called, we headed up and I handed the woman our passports.

Toby and I sat down, baby Spencer in the middle.

Across from us were Aaron, Matt, and Bethany.

"If you guys have to go to the bathroom, let me know." I told them.

The three nodded as I passed them their new things, followed by my IPad.

"Don't turn it on until we can." I told Bethany.

"Thank you Auntie Spence!" The three chorused.

"Your welcome." I told them.

"Remember, wait until they say we can turn on the devices and put our trays down. I'll remind you." I told them.

Toby and I powered off our phones, and I held his hand in mine.

I slipped the bag of baby supplies under the seat in front of me, and my purse under Spencer's seat in front of her.

"Ready to takeoff?" Toby asked us.

"Ready!" The kids squealed.

"Remember, don't kick the seats." I whispered in Matt's ear.

"Okay." He replied.

"He spoke!" I exclaimed.

I looked over at Toby, who mirrored the same reaction as me.

"I can talk." Matt told me with a small eye roll.

Toby chuckled at this comment, and I faced forward.

As we took off, I heard Bethany whisper, "Goodbye England."

Hanna POV:

"Where should we start?" I asked the girls as we entered the mall.

Veronica had passed on a message from Spencer to get bedding and room essentials for the little ones.

"Well, men are already painting two rooms pink for Bethany and baby Spencer." Aria threw out there.

"How about we split up?" Em asked.

"We always get done faster when we do." She added.

"Good idea Em." Aria commented.

"Hanna and I can start in Fabulous, and look at stuff for Bethany." Ali began.

"Em and I can split up. I'll get stuff for Aaron, and she'll take care of baby Spencer." Aria suggested.

"Alright, let's go! Make sure to send pictures!" I called to the others.

Ali and I linked arms and walked inside Fabulous.

We headed upstairs to the teen decor section.

"Good think Spence already has a bed being delivered." I whispered.

"She can use Mikey's old crib for Spencer too. We can find it in the attic probably." Ali added.

"Spencer's so organized, it shouldn't be a problem." I pointed out.

Ali chuckled at the comment.

"Alright, comforters." I whispered.

"We should get something that's more plain. Bethany isn't too young, and doesn't need some sort of little kid bedding with peace signs." Ali suggested.

"How about this one?" I asked her, picking up a pink comforter with white polka dots.

"Perfect." She cooed.

I passed it onto Ali.

"This comes with the two additional blankets, one pink, one white. I remember, they're really soft too! There's the comforter, and two pillowcases!" Ali explained.

"Sounds good to me!" I agreed.

"We should get a pink fuzzy rug, definitely not white. I can see something happening on white carpet." I suggested with a small cringe.

I picked up a circular, soft pink rug, and showed Ali.

She commented, "Good."

I saw Kendra near by, and passed her the two items.

"Hold these for us." I told her.

"Of course." She replied, taking the items downstairs.

"Five kids can't share one bathroom." I sighed.

"We should set up Bethany's bedroom downstairs in the basement. Remember that big empty room that no one uses?" Ali suggested.

"Perfect!" I exclaimed.

"The bathroom isn't too far from the room either." I added.

"Which means that Spence can have the three boys share a room and a bathroom, and the nursery Spencer has all to herself." Ali finished.

"I'll call the guys now." I told her.

"Hey Caleb." I greeted.

"Hey sweetheart, what's up?" He asked.

"Change of plans, have the men paint the empty room downstairs in the basement for Bethany." I told him.

"Good timing, they just finished the nursery." He told me.

"Have Ezra take apart the bed in the additional bedroom and move it downstairs." I added.

"I will." He replied.

"Thanks Caleb." I finished.

"We need a dresser." I told Ali.

"Alright, I'll call Em to have her pick one up." Ali told me.

Ali pulled out her phone, and put Em on speaker.

She answered on the first ring, "Hey guys, what's up?"

"We're still in Fabulous. Can you pick up a dresser for Bethany? Have someone help you take it to the car. Take Aria with you to put down the two back seats in one of the cars." I explained.

"Okay, what did you guys get so far?" Em asked.

"We have bedding and a rug. We're working on shower curtains and stuff to make her bathroom more girly." She explained.

"Plus, we have a change in plans. Bethany's bedroom is going to be the room in the basement with the closet, that's empty." I told Em.

"I almost forgot about that." She replied.

"How about you? How are you making out?" Ali asked Em.

"Well, Ezra told me that there are some neutral baby toys, like those FisherPrice ones already at the house. Veronica apparently dropped off some diapers. I'm grabbing some pink curtains that say princess all over them. I have crib material, since Toby told me there's already a crib from Mikey. Caleb's going to paint the white crib pink with the leftover paint from the kids rooms." Em explained.

"Sounds good." Ali and I chorused.

"I'm heading over to Aria now, I'll check in with you guys soon." She told us.

"Bye Em." I said.

Ali hung up and we proceeded downstairs.

I handed Kendra my credit card and purchased the bedding and rug.

Ali and I headed to another store to get the bathroom supplies.

I picked up a pink toothbrush holder, a pink toothpaste holder, and a pink soap dispenser.

I waved them towards Ali who nodded.

We explored the towels, and I picked up white towels.

Ali picked out pink towels in various shades, and we moved onto the rugs.

I grabbed two pink bathroom rugs, and threw them in our cart.

Ali waved a pink shower curtain in the air, and we headed to check out the materials.

"Are you two expecting a girl?" The cashier asked.

My face went two thousand shades of red.

"Uh..Um….Uh…" I blurted.

"We're not a couple, sorry ma'am." Ali told the woman as she handed us her bags.

"I'm so sorry." The cashier stated.

"You should be." I snapped and spun around.

We exited the store to see Aria and Emily waving.

"Hey guys!" We greeted them.

"Hey!" They returned.

"I picked out a revolving bookshelf for Bethany, I figured that she'll need it." Aria shrugged.

I nodded in agreement.

"I'm gonna go drop these off in the car, grab lunch for me?" Ali asked us.

"Sure." I told her.

Ali ventured off to the parking lot, and I headed towards Chipotle.

I picked out a taco salad for Ali and I, while Aria and Em got burritos.

"Man I love Chipotle." I sighed as I inhaled the scent, sitting down at the table.

Ali joined us, and I passed her her salad.

"Here." I told her.

"Thanks Han." She returned.

I nodded, "You're welcome."

"Isn't it crazy?" Aria asked.

"What's crazy?" Em asked.

"Taking on four additional kids." Aria sighed.

"It's a lot to handle." I agreed.

"Spence can do it though." Ali told her.

"Let's not be those gossiping moms, shall we?" Ali asked, having more of her salad.

At those words, we were silent.

Spencer POV:

Seven Hours Later…

"Why do we have to wait?" Aaron whined.

"We have to get our luggage." I told him.

At those words, baby Spencer burst into tears.

I scooped her up from her stroller.

"Shhhh. It's okay." I calmed her.

Aaron had held it in there for so long, but I'm not surprised that the kids are tired.

They didn't complain for so long, but they just let go.

"I'm afraid that we won't be home until late." I told the kids.

"Why?" Bethany asked.

"We have to go through customs, and drive home, which is an hour away." I explained.

"Oh, I remember customs." She replied.

"You do?" I asked.

She nodded, "We had to wait in a really long line, and show the people our passports."

"Wait Tobes, how is this gonna work?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"They are English citizens, and we are US, how are we going to do this?" I asked him.

"We'll have to take them to immigration tomorrow to become citizens, I'll stay here with the kids, go find an officer." Toby told me.

I found an officer standing in between the baggage claim and customs sign.

"Excuse me sir." I grabbed his attention.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked me.

"My nieces and nephews are traveling here from England. They have lost both of their parents, so we are keeping them here long term. My husband and I are permanent US citizens, we were born here. How does that work when we go through customs?" I asked him.

"You'll have to take the kids to immigration tomorrow to get them to be official US citizens. For right now, you can all travel into customs together. I'll go with you. Go to the section that is for visitors to the US, and I'll explain your situation." He told me.

"Thanks so much." I told him.

Toby waved me down, and I headed over to grab luggage.

The officer took some of the luggage, and we headed to customs.

Two hours later…

"Home sweet home." I whispered at the sight of my house.

Toby parked in the driveway, and we unbuckled the kids from the car.

I balanced baby Spencer on my hip, while Toby and Bethany grabbed the luggage.

I unlocked the door, and beckoned the kids.

"Welcome home!" Voices chorused.

I looked around to see Veronica, the girls, Caleb, and Ezra standing in the living room.

Veronica ran up to us, and wrapped her arms around me.

Tears were streaming down her face.

"What's wrong mom?" I asked her as tears began to form in my eyes.

"I'm just glad the kids are here." She said.

"Me too." I told her.

Toby wheeled in the suitcases calling, "A little help please?"

Ezra and Caleb headed outside, and I passed baby Spencer to Veronica.

"I'll be right back." I told her.

I headed outside and grabbed a suitcase and the stroller.

I put the two near the rest of the luggage, and lay down on the couch.

"I'm exhausted." I sighed.

"We're tired too." Bethany protested.

"I know." I said with a chuckle.

Aria, Hanna, Ali, and Em gave me a huge hug welcoming me home.

"Thank you guys for everything." I told them.

All of the sudden, I felt someone holding onto me.

I looked down to see Mikey at the ground.

"It is way past your bedtime!" I exclaimed, scooping him up.

"C'mon let's go see the kids' rooms!" Hanna exclaimed.

We all traveled upstairs.

I decided to head to the nursery first, to let baby Spencer get some sleep.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, tears forming in my eyes.

Around me was a soft pink painted rug, with a pink crib.

Butterfly curtains were on the windows, and butterflies were painted on the walls.

A dresser lay in the room, full of baby clothes and diapers.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed.

I wrapped my arms around everyone.

As I looked at the dresser, I noticed that a baby monitor stood there.

I chuckled, "You even got these set up!"

"There's one in your room too." Caleb told me.

I set baby Spencer down in the crib, and tucked her in.

We moved onto the boys' room.

Three beds lay in the room.

Mikey's bed lay on it's original location, and a bunk bed was on the other wall for Aaron and Matt.

"Top!" Matt exclaimed, trying to climb the ladder.

"No, I get the top!" Aaron exclaimed.

I looked at Matt, and said, "Bottom."

He sighed, and I set his suitcase down on the bottom bunk.

Aaron made a little, "Yes!" gesture and climbed up the ladder.

I passed him his suitcase to start unpacking.

I looked over to the right of the bunk, where a slide was to go down the bunk bed.

"I want Matt to have the bottom so he doesn't fall off the ladder." I exclaimed.

On the previously empty wall, were three dressers. Each had the boy's name above it, and my eyes widened.

"This is seriously perfect." I gushed.

I tucked in Matt and Aaron, and pressed a kiss to their foreheads.

I turned off the light and shut the door behind me.

"Then there were ten." Ezra whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"There's ten of us, because we lost four people." He explained.

"Oh." I sighed.

I moved onto Bethany's bedroom, which to my surprise, was empty.

"What?" I asked.

"Follow me." Ali told me.

The pack followed Ali downstairs.

We headed down into the basement, and Ali led us to the door of the spare room.

"Open it!" Aria exclaimed.

Toby and I looked at each other, and opened the bedroom door.

Bethany ran in next to us, and my eyes widened.

There was a queen bed with a trillion throw pillows at the headboard.

The comforter was pink with white polka dots.

Bethany revealed layer by layer, which was a series of pink and white blankets.

I looked down to see a fuzzy rug beneath the bed.

In the corner was a revolving bookshelf stocked up with books.

"Woah!" Bethany exclaimed.

The closet had several outfits in it already, and an empty dresser lay against another wall.

"This is amazing!" Bethany exclaimed.

"Agreed." I whispered.

"Thank you so much!" Bethany exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around each of us, and plopped onto her queen bed.

I tucked Bethany in, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"If you need me, I'll be upstairs." I told her.

She nodded, and I turned off the lights, and shut the door behind me.

"Then there were nine." Ezra stated, giving me a small nudge.

"I get it now." I told him with an eye roll, returning the nudge.

We headed back upstairs, and Toby and I said goodbye to everyone.

"Thank you guys so much for doing this. We can never repay you." I sighed.

Toby dug out the envelope, and handed them the money.

Veronica stood off to the side, as the other six people sat down on the rug and Hanna pulled out the receipts.

Once they divided the money between them, they handed us the envelope, still half full with money.

"Where did you get all of this cash?" Veronica asked us.

"Mrs. Kingston gave us an envelope, I didn't know it was worth this much!" I exclaimed.

"That can cover grocery bills for a while!" Toby exclaimed.

I nodded, "We'll use it wisely."

"Thank you guys again." I told them.

Once everyone exited the house, Toby and I headed upstairs.

We slept in our clothes, since we were so tired, and I turned the light off, thinking about my wonderful family.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Would you guys like a Chapter in Bethany, Wren, CeCe, Mike, Mona, and Jason's point of views? Please let me know. Thank you so much for the follows and reviews.

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"Where did you get all of this cash?" Veronica asked us.

"Mrs. Kingston gave us an envelope, I didn't know it was worth this much!" I exclaimed.

"That can cover grocery bills for a while!" Toby exclaimed.

I nodded, "We'll use it wisely."

"Thank you guys again." I told them.

Once everyone exited the house, Toby and I headed upstairs.

We slept in our clothes, since we were so tired, and I turned the light off, thinking about my wonderful family.

Ch 18

Spencer POV:

I opened my eyes to the gorgeous sunlight.

I turned around in my own bed to see the covers pulled up on Toby's side, no Toby.

The alarm clock read 9:30 am, and I immediately rose out of the bed.

I stumbled over my slippers, and slipped them on.

I threw on some clothes for the morning, and headed downstairs.

"Good morning!" I greeted.

"I have to wake up-" I began.

Toby approached me, and said, "Shhh, I've got it under control."

"Thank you." I sighed.

I headed to the kitchen table, and sat down.

"Are the kids up?" I asked him.

He nodded, "I fed them pancakes this morning. Spencer's sleeping."

"Thank you." I sighed.

"Did she cry overnight? I didn't hear anything." I asked.

He nodded, "I didn't mind though."

I couldn't help but notice that he had a tool belt around his waist.

"I have a job to get to today, if you want me to-" He began.

"No. Go! Go!" I encouraged him.

"Thanks Spence." He told me, giving me a kiss on my forehead.

"Bye love!" I called as he headed out the door.

"Bye!" He exclaimed, shutting the door.

"Auntie Spence? Is that you?" Bethany called.

I looked up to see Bethany at the top of the staircase.

I waved.

Aaron, Matt, and Mikey trailed after her.

"Good morning guys!" I greeted them, pressing a kiss to their foreheads.

"Good morning!" Bethany returned.

"Oh, Uncle Toby told me to give you this." She told me and passed me a sticky note.

"He said to call that number." She added.

"Thank you. Excuse me." I replied, and dialed the number on the house phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Cavanaugh?" The voice asked.

"This is she." I replied.

"My name is James, I talked to your husband about your nieces and nephews." James told me.

"Oh okay." I said.

"We have two options here. Since Mrs. Hastings, your mother is their grandparent, and was born here, they can be legal US citizens. Option two, you adopt them and they become your kids, US citizens." He explained.

"Adoption could take quite a while." He added.

"Well, I'll go with option one. I do want to adopt them, just not yet." I told him.

"Alright, I just need you to go to the Rosewood courthouse to sign some papers, with the kids, and you'll be good to go." He told me.

"Thank you, I'll come in today." I told him.

"Great." He stated.

"Goodbye." I finished, hanging up.

"Let's go to the park." I told the kids.

"Okay!" Aaron exclaimed.

I headed upstairs, and scooped up Spencer.

I took her downstairs, and grabbed the baby bottle.

The kids were waiting downstairs, and I said, "Hold on."

I filled up five water bottles, and passed four of them to each kid.

"Now let's go." I finished.

I put the stroller in the trunk, and buckled everyone except Bethany into the car.

Luckily, Veronica had purchased car seats for everyone before I headed down to England, or else I would've been in trouble.

"Ready?" I asked everyone.

The kids nodded and we drove off.

Once Matt and Mikey were unbuckled and out of the car, I pulled up the car seat to let Bethany and Aaron out.

I headed to the other side and scooped up Spencer, while Bethany grabbed the stroller.

I put Mikey in the back of the stroller, while Spencer sat in the front with her bottle and toys.

Aaron, Bethany, and Matt ran to the swings.

I pushed the stroller, and scooped Mikey out of it.

I put Mikey into the toddler swing, and pushed him for a little bit.

"Auntie Spence!" Aaron called.

I gave Aaron some good pushes, and then moved onto Matt.

Mikey began to cry, and I rushed back to him.

"I'm slowing down!" Aaron exclaimed.

I sighed and headed back to Aaron.

I headed back to Mikey afterwards and tried to calm him down.

As if things couldn't get any better, Spencer began to cry.

I sighed, and pulled out my phone.

I dialed Ali's number.

"Hey Spence what's up?" Ali asked.

"I need your help. I'm at the park and the kids are-" I began.

"Say no more. I'm on my way." Ali cut me off.

"Thanks, you're the best!" I exclaimed.

"I know." Ali insisted.

I hung up the phone with a small smile and eye roll.

Two minutes later, Ali ran out of the car.

"Thank god you showed up." I sighed.

"Mikey won't stop crying and Spencer has a full diaper." I sighed.

"I'll take care of Mikey and watch the kids, go change the diaper." Ali told me.

"Thank you." I told her.

I pushed the stroller into the bathroom and set Spencer down on the changing table.

Once Spencer was all cleaned up, I sat her back in the stroller.

Spencer began to cry, and I gave her a bottle.

We headed back outside, and surely enough, Mikey had calmed down.

Spencer still was crying, and I took out the pacifier.

Of course, the pacifier came right back out.

"Great." I muttered.

"Here, let me." Ali told me.

I passed Spencer over to Ali, who took her in her arms.

Ali put on a huge genuine smile, and threw Spencer into the air.

Spencer immediately began to giggle, and Ali continued to do it.

"Who's so cute?" Ali asked her.

Spencer continued to giggle as Ali continued to throw her up into the air.

Surely enough, Ali passed a happy Spencer back to me, and I put her in the stroller.

"How?" I asked her as she gave Spencer one of her toys.

"Whenever Sarah would cry and cry, and I was sick of it, Em took her. Em looked at her for a while, and threw her up in the air. Surely enough, it worked." She explained with a small shrug.

"Trust me, just keep doing that and it will be a miracle." Ali finished.

I smiled and looked at the road.

A car passed with a familiar driver in the wheel.

"Ali." I whispered.

"Ali." I stated.

"What?" She asked.

I had her follow my gaze to the face of CeCe Drake.

"We need to go home. Now." I told her.

I immediately gathered the kids and put Mikey back in the stroller.

"We need to go home." I told Bethany.

"Buckle everyone in, please." I told her.

Bethany nodded and pulled up the car seat.

"Drive with me?" I asked Ali.

Ali nodded, and dialed Em and the girls.

"Text my mom too. She's gonna have to watch the kids." I told Ali.

Ali hopped into the passenger seat, and put the girls on speaker.

"CeCe's back." Ali whispered.

"What?" Aria asked.

"Yeah. She's back, right now. She just passed the community park and I bet that she will pay you a visit." Ali added.

"Guys, tell Caleb and Ezra, get in my guesthouse, it's not safe." I demanded.

"I'm scared Ali." Em murmured.

"We're on our way." I promised them.

"Come fast." Hanna murmured.

"We're in the guesthouse, I locked the doors and closed the windows." Aria finished.

"Call the police." I told Ali.

"CeCe won't-" She began.

"Now." I demanded.

Ali hung up the phone, and dialed the police.

"Rosewood PD, how may I help you?" The voice answered.

"I just spotted CeCe Drake heading towards Applewood Drive." Ali blurted.

"We're on our way." The voice replied.

Ali hung up.

"Do they know it's us?" I asked her.

"No, I used star sixty-seven." She replied.

"Good." I murmured.

"What's going on?" Bethany asked.

"Nothing, it's okay." I answered.

"Auntie Spence, I know something's wrong." Bethany murmured.

"It's nothing." I repeated.

"Bad people came back to town at the wrong time." Ali blurted.

We pulled into Applewood Drive, where CeCe's car was parked.

I told the kids, "Stay in the car."

I got out of the car with Ali, and pulled out a gun from my trunk.

"Well well, if it isn't Spencer Hastings." CeCe stated, getting out of her car.

"You haven't changed one bit." She added.

Mike and Jason got out of the car after her.

I gasped at the sight of Mike being alive still, Wren told the truth.

"Wait!" A voice exclaimed.

Aria, Hanna, Ezra, Caleb, and Emily ran towards us.

Caleb and Ezra both had guns facing towards the three.

"Back away." Caleb commanded.

"Mike." Aria pleaded.

CeCe, Jason, and Mike each pulled out guns as well.

"What a pleasure it would be to kill each one of you." CeCe cooed.

"Not under my watch." A voice called.

Jason began to run down the sidewalk away from everyone.

"I got it." I told everyone.

"Spence!" A voice called.

I spun around to see Toby and the police force, armed and ready to fire.

"Toby." I murmured.

"Who's in the car?" CeCe asked.

"Oh, Melissa's poor, innocent children." CeCe sighed.

"I will kill you." I stated.

"Oh darling, you couldn't kill me if you even wanted to." CeCe stated.

"I always knew you were shady." Ezra scoffed towards her.

"I'm going after Jason." I stated.

"I'm going with you." Toby told me.

I nodded, and we ran after Jason.

I cornered him into an alley.

"Jason, why are you doing this?" I asked him.

"I love CeCe." He stated.

"Do you really?" I asked him.

"Hey, I'm a Hastings too. We don't really make smart love decisions." He chuckled.

"I don't find this situation funny." Toby scowled, raising his gun.

"Jason, please." I murmured.

"What have you been up to with CeCe?" I asked him.

"I can't tell you that." He whispered.

"Let me rephrase this, what have you done with Mona?" I asked him.

His face flushed.

"I know about the blood." I whispered.

"I know you know where Mona was hiding before she died." I added.

"It wasn't safe for her there, she should've came with us." He stated.

"Come with you where?" Toby asked him.

Jason remained silent.

"Europe?" I asked him.

"Are you -A?" Toby asked Jason.

"You know about -A too." He whispered.

"How do you know who -A is?" I asked him.

"I can't tell you." He whispered.

"Tell us, or I'll shoot you." Toby demanded, pressing the gun to Jason's forehead.

"CeCe mentioned that we were getting payed for what we did. She never named the source. I dug through some paperwork and found the letter '-A.' -A stalked me later, and sent me text messages. They were threatening ones." Jason sighed.

"How do you know about -A?" Jason asked me.

"What were you getting payed to do?" I asked him.

"You asked me a question, I answered it. It's my turn now." He answered.

"I won't tell you." I whispered.

"I don't trust you." I added.

"Jason DiLaurentis, I need to take you back to the scene." An officer stated, entering the area.

He escorted Jason and us back to the scene, and we stood as an officer looked at CeCe.

"CeCe Drake, you are under arrest." The officer stated.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your head." The officer added.

CeCe did as she was told, and was escorted to the cop car.

"I need to take in you two for questioning as well." Another officer stated, and escorted Mike and Jason into a cop car.

Aria burst into tears, and dialed her mom.

"Mike's alive mom." Aria sighed.

Aria excused herself and walked down the sidewalk..

"Wait!" I called out to the officer.

The officer spun around.

"Will information be released after the questioning?" I asked him.

He nodded, "Most likely."

The officer drove away with Jason and Mike, leaving me standing there on the sidewalk.

"How did you get here?" I asked Toby.

"I saw the cop car, and needed to know what was happening." He shrugged.

I wrapped my arms around him and he held me tight.

Meanwhile, Ali let the kids out of the car.

"What just happened?" Bethany asked.

"I don't know." I sighed.

"I really don't know." I murmured.

Aria came back, letting me know that our parents were on their way.

"How much stress in one week can we take?" Em asked.

As if on cue, phones went off,the girls and I reached in our pockets to check the message.

"Next time you won't be let off so easy. -A." Em read aloud.

"I'm scared." I whispered in Toby's ear.

As if things couldn't get better, I recieved a phone call.

I pulled out my phone and checked the caller ID, it was from the local Men's Correctional Facility.

"You have a call from inmate-" The voice began.

"-Wren Kingston." Wren finished.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"Where are my kids?" Wren asked.

"I'm not telling you." I stated.

"Come on Spencer ple-" He began.

I hung up the phone.

"Who was it?" Hanna asked.

I mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.'

"Let's just go inside." Em suggested.

Em led everyone into her home, and surely enough the doorbell rang.

Ali swung open the door to reveal the parents.

"Treehouse, now." Em told the parents.

Em, Ali, Aria, Hanna, Pam, Ella, Veronica, Ashley, and I headed outside to the treehouse.

We went up the spiral staircase, and sat down in the main area.

"What the hell happened?" Ashley demanded.

"I took the kids out to the park, and as Ali and I were talking, I spotted CeCe driving a car. She had some sort of disguise on, but I knew it was her. Ali and I called the girls to keep them safe, texted all of you, and called the police. CeCe was headed towards the house, and we knew there would be trouble." I explained.

"What happened afterwards?" Pam asked.

"We piled into Spence's car, and drove as fast as we could to get home. Once we arrived home, I saw CeCe's car. She had Jason and Mike with her. They all had guns, and Spence and I grabbed the gun in her trunk. We left the kids in the car, of course. CeCe said all of these threatening things, and the girls showed up with Ezra and Caleb. The police showed up as well, and arrested CeCe. Mike and Jason were taken into questioning." I finished.

All of the sudden, Ella's phone went off.

"It's the Rosewood PD." Ella whispered.

Ella answered the phone, and all we could hear was:

"Hello, yes this is Ella Montgomery." Ella began.

"He's alive?" She asked, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I'm on my way." Ella finished.

"Aria, come with me." Ella stated.

"Okay." Aria shrugged.

Ella and Aria left the tree house and headed downstairs.

Aria POV:

"Where are we going?" I asked my mom as I hopped into her rental car.

"The PD." She replied.

"What's happening?" I asked her.

"Mike's being held. We need to see him" Ella stated.

"Let me out of the car." I stated.

"Aria, why?" Ella asked.

"Let me out of the car." I repeated.

"No, we're going to the PD." She said.

We drove off, and headed to the PD.

"You have to see your brother." Ella shrugged.

I immediately whipped out my phone and texted Ezra.

"My mom is taking me to the PD. Mike's being held. I don't want to face him." I texted.

He replied, 'I'm on my way.'

I sighed and sank in my seat as we drove off.

We reached the PD, and headed out towards the department.

"Mom, Mike's twenty-six. He can handle his life." I stated.

"He needs to be in good hands through this process. " Ella returned.

I sighed and followed her into the PD.

"Hello Mrs. Montgomery." An officer greeted her.

"Mike's in the room over there." He told us, gesturing to a room down the hall.

We opened the door to reveal an officer and Mike.

"I don't want you here." Mike sneered.

"I'm here to help you" Ella stated.

"I don't want to be near you." Mike sneered.

"Of course you do! I'm your mother!" Ella exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes.

"I hate you." He muttered.

"Mike, listen to what I have to say." Ella stated.

"You bitch." He scowled.

Tears poured from Ella's eyes at those words, and I stood there, shocked.

"Don't you dare speak to my mother that way!" I exclaimed.

"She did nothing to hurt you." I added.

"You are in a bad place right now, I get it, but you have no right to call our mother a bitch." I sneered.

"You're no better." He told me.

"Michael." The officer scolded him.

"That's not my name!" Mike exclaimed.

"Let's go home Aria." Ella whispered.

"Mom are you-" I began.

"Mike can go to prison, I don't care." Ella spat.

"Mom-" I began.

"Let's go home Aria." She repeated.

I headed outside to see Ezra standing by the car.

I wrapped my arms around him, and he broke the embrace at the sight of Ella's face.

"Ella, are you okay?" Ezra asked her.

Ella whispered, "No."

"You know what, I'm just gonna go home." Ella finished.

She wiped tears from her eyes, and put on a fake smile.

"I'll call you later Aria." She told me.

"Okay, bye mom." I returned, hesitating.

Ezra looked at me, and I hopped into his car.

"I'm glad you called." He whispered.

"I'm glad you came." I told him.

"I'm sorry." He blurted.

I looked over as my eyes met his, "Why are you sorry?"

He sighed, "For everything. I didn't want to hurt you, I love you so much Aria. It's my job to protect you, and that's all I meant to do. I'm sorry that you had to experience this stress. I didn't mean for this whole crap to go down. Everything with Melissa and Mike and CeCe.."

"It's okay Ezra." I whispered.

He looked back at me.

"I can't stay mad at you." I told him.

"I love you, so much." I added.

"I love you too." He told me as I pressed my lips to his.

Ezra squeezed my hand, "Let's go home."

I nodded, and we drove off.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened in there?" Ezra asked.

"Mike called my mom a bitch." I whispered.

"He basically called me one too. He doesn't want to have Ella help him out. He's probably going to go to prison. They're doing drug tests." I finished.

"He has no right to call either of you names." Ezra replied.

"I know." I murmured.

"He doesn't deserve you guys." Ezra added.

"I know." I repeated.

We were silent the rest of the way home, and I headed back to the treehouse.

I knocked on the door, and Em let me in.

"What happened?" Spence asked me, standing up, and taking in my appearance.

I broke down in front of my best friends.

"Is it something Ezra said? I'll kill him." Hanna scowled.

"No." I whispered.

"M-Mike. H-He called my mom, Ella a bitch. He hates us. He isn't the same person." I whispered.

"Aria." Ali whispered.

I curled up into Spencer's arms, and sobbed into her chest.

"Everything that's happened-it's been terrible." I sighed.

"We know." Em murmured, squeezing my hand.

"We can't let people stop us from living our lives." Ali muttered.

"-A won't bring us down." Hanna stated.

"We won't let them." I agreed.

"If we don't let -A stop us, it won't be a problem. -A won't bring us down." Spencer pointed out.

"Yeah, you guys are right." I nodded with a grin.

"See, that's the smile we love!" Hanna exclaimed.

I smiled again, and wrapped my arms around the girls, as we formed a group hug.

"Are you guys ready for the kids to turn three?" Em asked us.

"Ugh, Mikey's gonna be so old!" Spencer exclaimed.

"I'm so excited for his birthday tomorrow!" She added.

"So Beth, Matt, Aaron, and Spencer will be joining the party right?" Ali asked.

"Yeah, how's it working out for you?" Hanna added.

"They'll be there. The kids love the house! Having five kids in the house, a nightmare. Everyone cries, and then everyone's all over the place.. I don't know if I can do this. I love the kids, but one was enough!" Spence answered.

"I can't imagine five kids." I whispered.

"It's pretty hectic." Spence told me.

I nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to adopt them?" Em asked Spence.

"I don't know. If Wren doesn't sign the papers.." She answered and trailed off.

"Toby and I were talking about another kid, I just don't see it right now." She sighed.

"We can always help out, you know that." I told her.

"You've already helped me enough." Spence sighed.

"Oh please Spence, you help us all the time!" Hanna insisted.

"We owe you one." Em chipped in.

"Thanks guys." Spence murmured.

I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"We're here for you Spence." I assured her.

"I know." She responded.

"Speaking of the kids, we should probably get back to them." Hanna pointed out.

"I feel like I don't spend enough time with Jonathan." I blurted.

As everyone rose up, they looked at me.

"Why?" Ali asked.

"Well Ezra is the work from home, and sometimes at work parent. I'm always at school, and I only get to see him at night." I sighed.

"It's the same with Sarah and I." Em pointed out.

"Plus, the kids will be going to school too, so we will get all the time we need at night." Em added.

I looked over at Spence, who explained, "Sometimes I have a serious case with a client and I am either at home, at a prison, or a clients home."

"We usually just leave the kids with our husbands, like they're toys." Hanna whispered.

"Which they aren't." I assured her.

"On weekends, you should take Jonathan to the park. Sign him up for a sport, and you and Ezra can take him to practice, and practice with him at home." Ali suggested.

"That's a great idea Ali, thanks." I told her truthfully.

She nodded.

"Sarah and I have little Dora dates, maybe you could have a TV marathon with him." Em told me.

"That's a good idea." I nodded.

"I think Jonathan would like soccer." I stated.

"I'll sign Mikey up!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Yes!" I exclaimed in excitement as Spencer and I exchanged a small high five.

"Team Sparia!" We chorused.

The others chuckled at our excitement.

"You never know, they could be football players." Caleb said with a small wink.

I spun around to see Caleb standing in the doorway.

"Ready for lunch?" He asked us.

"Were you listening in on our conversation?" Em asked him with a tease.

"No." He said.

"Sure." Hanna muttered with an eye roll.

"Let's just say that Bella and I will have a long talk about this future soccer players." Caleb told us with a wink.

"We'll be down soon." I told him.

Caleb nodded, "Well you could've just told me to go."

He shrugged and closed the door.

"Anyways, where were we?" Hanna asked.

"I would sign Sarah up, but I think she'll be a swimmer." Ali stated giving Em a nudge.

"You don't think, you know she will be a swimmer." Em stated.

"She will be." Em stated firmly, with a small smirk.

"I'm sure of it." I said with a chuckle.

"Maybe Bella could be a dancer." Hanna suggested.

"Or a cheerleader." I added.

"Those football players will be in for trouble." Ali stated with a wink.

"No way is she gonna be a cheerleader!" Hanna exclaimed.

"The things she would do.." Hanna began.

"We get it." Spencer cut her off.

I burst into laughter at the thoughts of what she was going to say.

"Plus, cheerleaders can be kind of bitchy." Ali said with a shrug.

"And Bella isn't a bitchy type." Ali added reassuringly.

"Stereotypes." I warned her.

"Well, I'm sure Hanna could teach Bella how to dance." Em told us with a small chuckle.

"Hey!" Hanna exclaimed, throwing a pillow at Em.

"Wait, what did we miss?" I asked Em.

"Well, when Hanna was going to do that pageant, she needed a talent. Hanna asked me to teach her how to dance. More like forced me." Em began.

Hanna shot Em another look, causing a laugh to escape Em's mouth.

"We did some dancing, which Han was pretty bad at. Her supervisor agreed with me, Hanna was kind of terrible." Em finished.

"We danced to, uh.. um.." Em began.

"Alright, we get it." Spence cut her off.

Em nodded, "Alright."

"Guys, I need to tell you something." Spencer stated.

We all focused on Spencer.

"Jason knows about -A." She blurted.

At those words, my face flushed.

"He.. what?" I asked.

She nodded, "I know."

"He said that CeCe's been getting payed to do something, along with Mike and Jason. CeCe never told Jason who they were getting payed from. CeCe was the one who transferred the money that this source gave them. Jason discovered that it was a source named -A. -A started texting, threatening, and stalking Jason too." She explained.

"Small world, isn't it?" Em asked.

"Too small." Hanna shuddered.

"Did he say anything else?" Ali asked.

Spencer shook her head, "Nothing. I tried to pry it out of him, but an officer came."

We all became silent for a few minutes.

"Let's grab some lunch." Ali stated, breaking the silence.

We all rose up, and headed inside of the Fields household.

On the table lay five hoagies and five water bottles.

"Thanks Toby!" I called out.

"How did you know it was me?" Toby asked.

"You bring us hoagies all the time." I pointed out.

"True." He agreed.

I bit into my delicious hoagie, and sat down with the girls.

The guys were on the couch, watching the football game.

"Speaking of football." Ali stated.

"True, what a coincidence." I added.

"What do you mean?" Ezra asked.

Caleb gave him a, 'I'll tell you later' look.

"We should retake our family photo." Em stated.

"Since Bethany, Matt, Spencer, and Aaron are here too." She added.

"Ow!" Em yelped.

I looked to my left to see Spencer give Em a look.

"That hurt." Em whispered.

"Is everything okay?" Toby asked us, standing up.

"Everything's fine." I assured him.

'She kicked me.' Em mouthed.

'She shouldn't have mentioned it.' Spencer mouthed.

"Well, I don't know what's going on, but I hope no one got hurt." Caleb stated.

"Actually Toby-" Em began.

I flashed Em a look.

Em finished, "-we are fine."

"Whatever you say." He replied with a chuckle.

"You can never understand women sometimes." Caleb shrugged.

"Tell me about it." Ali agreed.

"Hey!" Em exclaimed, giving Ali a nudge.

"What, I'm a lesbian, I can talk about girls the same way guys can!" Ali exclaimed.

"Well I can too!" Em exclaimed.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The guys cheered.

I gave Ezra a serious nudge, and told him, "Stop!"

"Do not encourage our best friends to fight, please." Spencer sighed.

"Aw c'mon." Caleb frowned.

"Watch your football game." Hanna told him.

Caleb shrugged and returned his focus to the game.

I sat back down at the table, and exchanged looks with the girls.

"We need to talk." Spencer told us.

"Auntie Spence!" A voice called.

We looked up to see Bethany at the top of the stairwell.

"What's up Beth?" Spencer asked.

"Spencer won't stop crying." Bethany told her with a sigh.

"I'm coming." Spence said and advanced up the stairs.

The two switched spaces as Bethany came downstairs.

"Hello!" She exclaimed.

"Hi sweetie, are you hungry?" Em asked her.

Bethany nodded.

"Follow me." Em said as she rose from her seat.

Bethany followed Em into the kitchen.

"And then there were three." I stated.

"Hey!" Ezra exclaimed.

"That's my thing!" He added.

"Too bad." I teased.

"It's my thing now." I said, rising from my chair, and heading upstairs.

The girls followed me, as we headed upstairs.

I knocked on the door to Sarah's bedroom, and opened it up to see Aaron, Matt, Mikey, Jonathan, Bella, and Sarah in the room.

I scooped up Jonathan and laced my hand with Mikey's, and headed back downstairs.

The rest of the pack followed as well, and I went into the kitchen to heat up the mac n cheese Em had leftover.

Once I was done with the mac n cheese, Em and I served Matt, Sarah, Bella, Mikey, and Jonathan it.

Ali and I switched places as she headed to the stove to make grilled cheese for the other kids, and I checked on the kids,

"Everything okay?" I asked.

The kids nodded, and Em beckoned us.

We headed to the treehouse to discuss things.

Once the door was closed, Em shouted, "Why did you kick me?"

"You can't just think that they are going to be in the family now! I'm keeping them with me for a little bit. Don't say things you can't gaurentee! My sister is dead!" Spencer yelled, equally frustrated.

"Spence, violence isn't the answer, okay?" I asked.

"What she said wasn't right." Spencer scowled.

"It wasn't." I agreed,

"But you shouldn't attack Em like that." I added.

"Both of you, get yourselves together!" I exclaimed.

"Do you see what -A is doing? -A is driving us crazy! -A is tearing us apart!" Hanna pointed out.

"How does -A relate to this?" Em asked her.

"-A killed Melissa!" Hanna exclaimed.

"-A payed CeCe to do all of this crap!" Spencer added.

"-A didn't catch Wren though." I whispered.

"True." Spencer agreed.

"Either way, someone was going to have to help Wren take care of the kids." Spencer whispered.

"I couldn't just pack my bags and move to England! My kid is here, my job is here, my life is here!" Spencer exclaimed.

"-A can't tear us apart." Ali whispered.

"We can't let them." I added.

"They already have." Spencer whispered.

I sat back against the wall of the treehouse and sighed.

. As I leaned against the treehouse, I felt something that stuck out differently than the wall did.

I turned around, and ran my hands up and down the wall.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Spencer asked me.

"Something feels different." I told her.

I led Spencer to the wall, and put her hand where the spot was.

The others touched it as well.

"What could it be?" I asked everyone.

"Let's find out." Ali told us.

She stood up and stalked off throughout the house.

Ali came back with a toolbox, and passed it to Spencer.

"Why Spence?" Em asked.

"Please, Spence is a genius." Ali scoffed.

Spencer pried the piece of the wall off, revealing a hole in the structure.

She reached in the hole, taking out a doll.

Spencer gasped.

She held up the doll, and showed it to us.

The doll looked exactly like Melissa.

"Oh my god." I whispered.

"Let me see it." Ali commanded.

Spencer passed the doll to Ali, and Ali took of it's clothes.

"Screwdriver." Ali stated.

Spencer passed Ali a screwdriver, and Ali took off the back of the doll.

A folded up piece of paper lay inside.

Ali grabbed out the piece of paper, and looked at us.

She put the doll and screwdriver down, and we all gathered around her to see the note.

"Jason knows more than you think. You're getting warmer. -A." Ali read aloud.

"They better not arrest him." Spencer muttered.

"We need answers, how is Jason going to crack?" I asked.

Everyone looked directly at me.

"What?" I asked.

Suddenly, I answered my own question.

"You want me to talk to him, don't you?" I asked.

Spencer nodded.

"Ugh, come on." I murmured.

"Well, you two did have a connection." Spencer shrugged.

"I'm married now!" I hissed.

"I can't flirt with him against my husband. Ew. No." I said with a small shudder.

"Let's go tell the guys." Emily stated.

"I won't go through with this plan! I can't!" I exclaimed.

I chased after the girls down the stairs, and as we entered the house, the doorbell rang.

Em advanced towards the door, the girls and I behind her.

At the door, was Jason DiLaurentis.

"We need to talk." He stated.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Please let me know if you want flashbacks from any character I haven't done flashbacks for! Flashbacks in this chapter may be inaccurate because Season 6 of Pretty Little Liars has not been released, so the flashbacks are just guesses on what occurs.

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

Em advanced towards the door, the girls and I behind her.

At the door, was Jason DiLaurentis.

"We need to talk." He stated.

Ch 19

Emily POV:

"Get out." Toby sneered.

I turned around and looked at the girls, 'Yes!' They mouthed.

"Jason, can we talk outside?" I asked him.

"Okay." He stated.

"Ezra, why don't you show the kids some of the movies and games we have?" I asked him.

"But the game-" He began.

I flashed him a look, and he nodded, "Sure!"

I looked at the girls, as we headed outside, and shut the door behind us.

"How do you know about -A?" Jason asked us.

"We won't tell you." Ali sneered.

"Well, if you want information, you're going to have to." He stated.

"Are you threatening us?" Spencer asked him.

"I believe so." He answered.

"You always kept secrets, I knew something was up." Jason told Ali.

"I guess it runs in the family." Hanna said with a small shrug.

"You know what Jason? I thought we would actually have fun as a family. Go places, do things. I guess not." Hanna sneered.

"Like it or not, we're your sisters." Spencer added.

"Half sister." Jason corrected.

"Same thing." Hanna and I chorused.

"How do you know that we can trust you?" I asked him.

"You can't." A voice stated.

Toby emerged from the house, and shut the door behind him.

"Anything you say to them, you can say to me." Toby stated.

"Let's go inside." I stated.

We headed inside, into the basement.

"Why aren't you in prison?" I asked Jason.

"Well, I told the cops that I was scared, so I pulled out a gun." He shrugged with a smirk.

"Jason." Spencer scolded.

"You want answers? Find them somewhere else. Get out of my house." Ali told him.

He threw up his hands, and stalked off back upstairs.

'Go!' Spencer mouthed at Aria.

"Jason! Wait!" Aria exclaimed.

She headed up the stairs, chasing after Jason.

Aria POV:

"Jason!" I exclaimed, heading down the sidewalk.

I kicked off my heels and ran barefoot after him.

"What Aria?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I told him, throwing my hands up in the air.

"I'm sorry my friends reacted that way." I whispered.

"You know what Aria? I was actually going to give them answers. Now, I don't feel wanted." He sighed.

"You could tell me." I whispered.

"Is this some kind of sick joke? Did your friends put you up to this?" He asked.

"Up to what?" I asked.

"Trying to shake the answers out of me. Wait, I'll answer my own question, I know they did. They said 'Oh, Jason had that pathetic crush on Aria, he'll easily crack if she tries.' God that's sick." He sighed.

"Jason, it's not like that!" I exclaimed.

"But it is." He whispered.

"Is that how you see yourself? Pathetic?" I asked him.

He hesitated, "It doesn't matter."

"Jason, please." I whispered.

"Goodbye Aria." He murmured, running down the sidewalk.

"Don't come after me." He called over his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" A voice called.

I turned around to see Ezra, and wrapped my arms around him.

"The girls wanted me to get Jason to crack." I sighed.

"It didn't work well." I added.

"They asked you to flirt with him?" Ezra asked, pulling away.

I nodded, "But I didn't."

"Aria." Ezra murmured.

"I sware Ezra. I told the girls that that was sick." I murmured.

"Are you sure?" He asked me.

"Positive." I whispered.

"Trust me Ezra Fitz, the only person I should be chasing, and will chase, is you." I added.

He grinned as I smiled from ear to ear, and he pressed his lips to mine.

We stood there, kissing, enjoying the moment.

"Ahem." A voice coughed.

We both pulled away to see Hanna and Caleb standing there.

"We came to check on you." Caleb stated.

I began to blush.

"Well Aria, aren't you a charmer." Hanna noticed with a small smirk.

"Stop." I told her with an embarrassed laugh.

"Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?" Caleb asked.

Ezra and I burst into laughter.

"Good one." I teased.

Caleb did a small bow, and we headed back inside.

"Any luck?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing." I sighed.

"By the way, do not tell my wife to flirt with other people." Ezra scolded Spencer.

"How did you know it was me?" Spence asked.

"Please Spence, it's always you." Ezra replied with a small shrug.

"I'm sorry Aria." Spence whispered.

"It's okay." I told her.

"Well, I have some work to do at the shop." Hanna began.

"I should take the kids home." Spencer added.

"This would be a good opportunity to grade papers." I finished.

"Thanks Em." I told her.

She smiled and nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Or later." I shrugged.

"Hopefully not." She replied.

"We've handled enough catastrophes." Spencer agreed.

"Alright, bye guys!" I exclaimed.

Two Days Later...Mikey's Birthday (Tuesday, March 11th)

Spencer POV:

"Happy birthday!" I cheered as I peered down at my son.

Mikey rose from his bed, and I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I can't believe he's three." Toby stated.

"Neither can I." I sighed.

I scooped up Mikey, as Toby and I headed downstairs.

"Birthday toast!" I exclaimed.

Mikey smiled from ear to ear, and dug into his toast.

"C'mon, we have something for you outside." I told him.

Mikey followed us outside, and Toby and I decided to introduce him to hop scotch.

I began to hop down the hopscotch board, which I haven't done in two decades.

Mikey hopped on one foot, two, one, and one again.

I showed him it again, and Mikey practiced over and over again.

"Let's get you dressed." I told him.

I headed upstairs with Mikey, and told Aaron and Matt to get dressed.

I picked out an outfit for Mikey and Matt, and quickly helped Mikey get ready.

The three boys began a conversation, and I headed outside and shut the door behind me.

I knocked on Bethany's door, "Can I come in?"

I peered open the door, and said, "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" She returned.

"Can you get dressed please? We're taking everyone to the park, Mikey's gonna play some soccer." I asked and explained.

She nodded.

"Alright, see you soon." I told her and squeezed her hand.

I walked into the nursery to the face of baby Spencer.

I scooped her up, and dressed her in a pair of pants and a top.

We headed downstairs, and I grabbed the stroller from the wall.

Once I got Spencer into the stroller, I called upstairs, "Kids! We're ready!"

As the kids ran down the stairs, my phone rang.

I pulled out my phone , and answered the call.

"Incoming call from inmate-" The voice began.

"-Noel Kahn." Noel finished.

"What do you want?" I asked with a whisper.

"Spencer, I know that Jason's back." Noel told me.

"Everyone does." I retorted.

"He has answers Spencer." Noel murmured.

"What kind of answers?" I asked.

"Tell him that you know about the contract." Noel whispered.

"What contract?" I asked.

"Please." Noel whispered.

"Okay." I murmured, and the line went dead.

"We're ready!" Aaron exclaimed in front of me.

"Alright guys, let's go!" I exclaimed.

I linked my arm with Toby's and pushed the stroller out the door as Bethany held it.

"You're so kind Bethany." I complimented.

She smiled, and we loaded up the car.

Toby began to drive us to the park, and I pulled out my phone.

"Who were you on the phone with earlier?" Toby asked me.

"I'll tell you later." I told him.

"Spence." He whispered.

"It's okay." I told him and squeezed his hand.

I began to text the girls SOS, but hesitated.

It's Mikey's birthday. I wouldn't want to ruin my son's birthday.

I took a deep breath and slipped my phone back in my purse.

We continued to drive off, the park awaiting.

Noel POV: Immediately after calling Spencer

"Are you done Kahn?" A guard asked.

I nodded and was escorted back to my cell.

My trial is tomorrow.

Another day in prison.

Another day locked up.

Another day away from Mona.

Another day without light.

Another day without seeing the trees.

Another day without seeing the world.

Another day in hell.

Prison was cold and brutal.

Twenty four hours per day of silence isn't pleasant. No one ever sleeps, at least I can't. I'm in here for all the wrong reasons. The beds are hard slabs against your back. There are noises. Noises such as screaming and crying. Not pleasant at all.

Prison isn't for me.

Noel Kahn shouldn't be in prison.

Yet here I am.

I didn't want to kill Lucas in the first place.

An anonymous source; -A, sent me a message, forcing me to kill him.

People think I'm the bad guy now. I need Spencer and the others to believe me. My lawyer is strong, but not as strong as Spencer to get me out of here.

I headed back into the cell, as the guard shut the door behind me.

This is who I am now. An animal in a cage. I'm locked away, kept from the pleasures of running around the neighborhood, food, homes, people, stores, grass, sun, skies.

I leaned back against the slab of my bed and sighed.

Clink.

I looked down at the floor to see a small bottle with a message inside.

How the hell did someone get this in here.

I looked around, and grabbed the message.

I popped the cork off the bottle, and grabbed the note.

Noel. I miss you. I'll get you out baby. -M

My heart throbbed at the words of Mona's.

I miss her so much, I love her.

Mona's all alone. Without me, she doesn't have any support. Without her, I don't either.

If Mona's still in contact with CeCe and Jason, I'll kill them. I warned them to leave Mona alone or else.

My thoughts were interrupted by a guard.

"Kahn, you have a visitor." He stated.

I was escorted down the hall to a room, and the guard stood outside as I headed inside.

I looked to see a familiar face of a woman with gorgeous curly black hair and capturing eyes.

"Jenna." I blurted, sitting down at the table across from her.

"Hello Noel." She returned.

Mona POV:

"Thanks for meeting me." I murmured, passing a cup of coffee across the table.

"It's my pleasure." A voice said.

I looked up to see Jason, as expected, who took a sip of his coffee, and sat down.

"I went to her house like you asked." He murmured.

"Excellent." I replied.

"Did they buy it?" I asked.

He took a deep breath, "They want answers. They'll crack."

"They're smart Jason." I told him.

"You have to try harder." I scowled.

"I will." He whispered.

"Great." I said with a soft smile.

"I'm meeting up with him tonight. I'll let you know later." I told him.

He nodded, and I excited The Brew, my coffee in my hand.

As I walked down the sidewalks of Rosewood, I saw a familiar brunette jogging past me.

"Paige!" I called.

"Paige!" I yelled.

Paige looked over her shoulder, and sprinted down the sidewalk.

Oh.

I continued walking down the sidewalk and hopped into my car, which was parked down the street.

I drove off and pulled out my phone to text Mike.

I texted, 'Meet me in five.'

Spencer POV:

The kids and I got done at the park, and we walked into the home to see Hanna, Ali, Caleb, and Ezra with their kids.

"Jonathan!" Mikey exclaimed.

Mikey ran over to the boy, and the two began to play.

The kids ran upstairs to Mikey's room, as Bethany and Aaron headed downstairs to play the Wii.

Once we were all alone, I looked around at the adults in the room.

"Anything you'd like to tell us?" Toby asked me.

"Toby." I pleaded.

"Spencer." He stated.

"Spence, what's wrong?" Hanna asked me.

"Noel called me today." I murmured.

"I thought you said that you two weren't gonna communicate anymore." Ali stated.

"He called me." I reminded her of his jail status.

"What did he want?" Ezra asked me.

"Noel said that Jason has answers. He said to tell Jason that I know about the contract." I explained.

"What contract?" Caleb asked.

"Exactly." I answered with a raise of an eyebrow.

"This isn't good." Ali whispered.

"What?" I asked her.

"I saw Mona and Jason together earlier at The Brew. They were whispering." Ali murmured.

"Why were you at the brew?" Ezra asked her.

"We made a coffee run after work." Hanna replied.

"Sometimes I wish that Em and Aria weren't teachers." Ali murmured.

"It would help." Ezra agreed.

"They need to hear this too." I nodded.

"But they can't just call out in the middle of the period." Toby sighed.

"True." I agreed.

"They need to know about this." I added.

"We have to wait." Ali sighed.

"Em hates when I interrupt her at work." Ali added.

"Well what do you interrupt her with?" I asked.

"I know." Hanna teased with a smirk and eyebrow raise.

Ali playfully hit Hanna, and the two exchanged a glare.

"Guys. How more serious can our lives get?" Hanna asked.

"Rather serious." Toby stated.

"You guys need to be careful. You always do." Caleb sternly told us.

"We try our best." I murmured.

"You guys should get a bodyguard." Ezra suggested.

"We're already under high security." Hanna whispered.

"By who?" Ezra asked.

"You guys." I answered.

"Well I was going to say -A, but you guys too." Hanna shot back.

"We can't let -A have too much power. We are adults. We have to take care of this." I stated.

"We should. You know how much power -A has." Ali stated.

Flashback

"Please follow the lighted pathway." The voice projected.

I groaned, and exited my room.

The other girls came out of their rooms and we walked down the pathway.

"Day 6 of hell." Hanna groaned.

"I think it's been more than six days." I sighed.

"Whatever. This bitch has kept us here long enough." Hanna scowled.

We followed the pathway to the main room.

At the room, Mona or 'Alison' retrieved the mail.

"There's one addressed to the four of you." Mona stated.

Hanna grabbed the envelope from Mona and tore it open.

"Think your boyfriends are safe? Think again bitches. I have a plan for them. Oh don't worry Emily, Paige has something special coming at her in Cali too! Kisses, -A." Aria read aloud.

"He better not hurt Toby." I sneered.

After we tried to escape, Charles locked us up separately without food or water. It was torture. Sounds of Toby filled the room those days, which felt like months. The voices of Melissa and my parents played as well. I would do anything to hear or see Melissa again. I miss my home. I miss my family. I miss my bed. I missed prom. We missed prom. Our prom was here. With Charles. Forced to wear dresses.

"God I hate that bitch." Hanna groaned.

"Ow!" She yelped.

Hanna looked down at her bracelet and winced.

After Hanna had talked back to Charles so long, every time she insults him, it shocks her. Charles put the bracelet on Hanna in her sleep. We've tried so hard to get it off, but nothing's worked.

"I hate him for treating you this way." I murmured.

"God." I groaned, wincing at my bracelet.

Not only did Hanna get this punishment, but we all did. All of us except Mona. Mona's still playing the favorite card in Charles' life. Though she was caught escaping with us, her punishment was less severe.

"I'm sorry." Mona whispered.

"Don't feel sorry for them Alison. You're the good girl." A voice projected.

"Thank you." Mona cooed, grinning.

"Sorry." She mouthed.

I rolled my eyes and continued to sit at the table with the girls.

"Take the board game from the floor." -A announced.

Hanna scooped up the board game, and took out the instructions and pieces.

"Obey each card and space." Hanna read the cover of the instructions, and passed it to Emily.

"There are eight different cards. Blue for Emily. Pink for Aria. Red for Spencer. Yellow for Alison. Purple for Hanna." Emily read and paused.

"The other cards apply to everyone. They give instructions that you must follow or else you pay the penalty. Every time you roll, you pick up a card." Aria added.

"Let's get started." I declared.

Mona handed everyone a piece, and we looked at each other.

"Begin." The voice announced.

"Who wants to go first?" Emily asked.

"Hanna does." -A announced.

Hanna looked at each of us, and rolled the die.

She advanced four spaces, and selected a card.

"Would you rather kiss Emily or kiss Alison?" Hanna read aloud.

"Neither." Hanna mouthed.

"Emily." She stated.

"What?" Emily asked.

Before Em could get an answer, Hanna crashed her lips to Emily's.

They held their kiss for a little bit, and Hanna pulled away.

"You're a nice kisser." Hanna complimented.

Em sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Your turn." Hanna told Em.

"But isn't it Aria's?" Em asked her.

Hanna showed Em her card and announced, "Which ever you choose, it's their turn next."

Em took the dice from Hanna and Hanna put the card in the discard pile.

Em rolled a three and moved three spaces.

Em picked up a card and read aloud, "Go save Noel before it's too late. Head to the next room with your friends. If you fail, he dies."

Em ran out of the room, the rest of us following her.

The card in her hand dropped to the floor, as we ran to the next room.

There was a box on top of a conveyor belt, with a saw and blades at the end waiting to crush his body.

Screams filled the room, and we rushed to break the lock.

"Go find something Spence! Hurry!" Em yelled.

I ran and scattered to find something to pick the lock.

I grabbed a long wire, and used the blades to cut a piece of it.

I stuck the wire through the keyhole and wiggled to break the lock.

The lock broke, and Aria sighed, "Thank god."

We opened up the box to see a dummy laying in it.

A note lay on the dummy's heart.

Em picked it up and read, "Nice try bitches. This was just a test. Next time, it'll be much more real. -A"

"God I hate him." Hanna scowled.

"I really thought it was going to be Noel." Em murmured.

We returned to the game room, as it was Mona's turn next.

Mona rolled the die and picked up a yellow card.

She read a card, stood up, and exited the room.

"So she gets to leave?" Aria asked.

"I'm really confused." Em stated.

Mona returned with four pictures.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed.

She handed each of us a picture.

The picture I saw was Toby, smiling, laughing, and enjoying himself.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I looked up to see the others crying as well.

We all showed our pictures to each other.

Hanna's and Aria's were like mine, except with Caleb and Ezra.

However, Emily's was different.

Emily's had Paige in a heated make out session with another girl.

"How could he do this?" Em asked.

Tears flowed down her face, and I began to full on cry as well.

"Your turn." Mona stated, tapping my shoulder.

I rolled the die and picked up a card.

"You're in luck! You get one phone call of thirty seconds. Here's the catch: It has to be Toby. You need to tell him that you're alright. That nothing's wrong." I read aloud.

I looked up from the card and exchanged glances with the girls, to hear a small noise in the room. I looked down to see a small phone, and held it against my chest.

I went into the Settings and turned on Location Services, and called Toby.

"Hello?" He answered.

"It's me." I murmured, sobbing.

"Spencer?" Toby asked.

I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me.

"Don't do it." Aria mouthed.

"Toby we're fine." I stated.

"You don't sound fine." He implored.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"I can't tell you, but we're okay. We're safe. I love you." I stated.

"I love you. Spence-" He began and I hung up.

I read the bottom of the card that said, "Success! Put the phone back into the red bucket."

I turned off Location Services, cleared my history, and put the phone in the bucket.

I sat back down at the table, sighing, and I passed the die to Aria.

Aria advanced four spaces and picked up a card.

"Oh my god." She stated.

"What is it?" Emily asked her.

Aria went to the red bucket, picked up the phone, and looked down at the card.

She dialed a number, and said, "Hello."

"It's Aria." She stated.

"I just wanted to let you know that Emily is with another sexy, loving girl." Aria said and held back a sob.

"It's me." She sobbed and hung up.

"Em, I'm-" Aria began.

"Aria, it's okay." Em whispered.

"I know." She added.

Aria wrapped her arms around Emily, and held her.

"You're up." Aria said to Hanna.

Hanna took the die from Aria, and rolled.

The bell chimed.

"Please follow the lighted pathway." The voice announced.

We stood up, put the game back, and followed the lighted pathway.

I headed back into my room, and waved to the girls.

We each stood in the doorways of our rooms.

Suddenly, the door shut.

I sat against my bed, and looked down at my orange jumpsuit in disgust.

When will I ever get out?

Please find me Toby.

End of Flashback

I put my hands to my face and wiped away the tears falling from my eyes.

"Spence." Toby stated.

He came over, and I threw my arms around his neck.

"Is everything okay?" Bethany asked.

I looked over Toby's shoulder to see Bethany and the kids at the top of the stairwell.

I nodded.

"I heard crying." Bethany murmured.

"Aunt Spencer just slipped that's all. She's okay." Toby reassured them.

Bethany looked at me, unconvinced.

I nodded and the kids walked back upstairs.

"What's wrong?" Toby asked me as soon as the kids were out of earshot.

"I had a flashback to when I was in the dollhouse." I whispered.

"When?" Hanna asked.

"When we played the game where you had to kiss Emily." I replied.

"God that was terrible." She murmured.

I nodded in agreement and sat back down on the couch.

"-A made me call you." I whispered.

"I know." Toby nodded and squeezed my hand.

I cuddled up next to Toby on the couch, and we all sat in silence.

Emily POV:

"Hey, are you heading to Spence's?" I asked Aria as we walked out of Rosewood High.

"I'm meeting up with my mom." Aria stated.

"So soon?" I asked her.

She nodded and hesitated, "Yup. We're grabbing lunch."

I knew she was lying but nodded anyways.

"I'll see you later." I told her, hopping into my car.

I set my purse beside me as my phone went off.

I answered it and greeted Ali with a, "Hello!"

"Why didn't you tell me that Hanna kissed you?" Ali asked me.

"Hanna didn't kiss me." I stated.

"In the dollhouse." She scowled.

"That was forever ago!" I exclaimed.

"Ali I'm driving." I stated.

"Come straight home." She stated.

"Ali-" I began.

"Em." She stated.

"Babe." I whined.

"Now." She demanded.

I obeyed and drove straight home to see Ali.

As I parked my car, I got another phone call.

"Hey!" I greeted Hanna.

"Do you think Aria's pregnant?" She blurted.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"We have to go wait at her house!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Okay." I stated.

"I'll be there in five. Come over." I added.

"Alright, I'm coming right now." Hanna stated.

I hung up and headed inside.

I sent a text to the moms explaining the situation and we headed to Aria's.

"Hi." Ali murmured.

"I'm sorry." She added.

"It's okay." I stated.

"Hanna's coming over. We think Aria's pregnant. We're heading to Aria's house." I blurted.

At that, Hanna rang the doorbell.

I had ordered a cake the other day with pink in the inside, because Hanna asked me to find out the gender of her child, and we would reveal it at a party tonight. Ali grabbed the cake from the counter, and handed it to me.

I opened the door to see Hanna, and she looked at me and the cake.

"Is that the cake?" She squealed.

I nodded.

"I'm so excited!" Hanna exclaimed, squeezing my arm.

"Where's Spence?" I asked Hanna.

"She said she had to go out." Hanna shrugged.

We walked over to Aria's to see the moms waiting outside.

I picked up the mat to the Fitz's house, grabbed the key, and unlocked the door.

"Where's Ezra?" Ella asked.

"He went out." Hanna replied.

"She's pregnant." The three of us chorused.

"Aria?" Ella asked.

"She has to be." I murmured.

We all sat down on the couches, awaiting the arrival of Aria.

An hour later…

The doorknob turned, and we all ran to the doorway. Caleb, Toby, and the kids ran up as well, whom had arrived half an hour ago.

We waited as Spencer, Aria, and Ezra stood in the doorway, and looked at us.

"You're pregnant!" Ella exclaimed.

Aria nodded.

"This isn't how I wanted you guys to find out." She murmured.

We all made some space as Aria, Spencer, and Ezra walked in.

Aria sat down on the couch, as Spence placed a cake on the counter.

"You knew!" We all chorused.

Spencer nodded, "Sorry."

She took in the sight of the other cake.

"Is this Hanna's?" She asked.

We nodded.

"We my as well cut them now." Ezra stated.

"Hanna?" Caleb asked.

"I can't wait!" Hanna exclaimed.

The two couples stood in front of their cakes, Hanna and Aria with knives in hand.

I scooped up Sarah and squeezed Ali's hand as we gathered around the girls.

"One, two, three!" We exclaimed.

The girls dug into the cakes both to reveal pink.

"Girls!" We chorused.

The two girls looked at each other and embraced.

They hugged their husbands, as tears of joy ran down their cheeks.

Tears welled up in my eyes as well, and Ali wiped them from my face.

"Congratulations!" I exclaimed.

Ali, Spencer, and I enveloped the girls in a group hug.

I wrapped my arms around the proud fathers as well.

The moms gave the girls a hug, and we all beamed from ear to ear.

We all sat down on the couches, chairs, and at the dining room table.

"You're gonna have a little sister." Aria and Hanna told their children.

"Woah." Jonathan burst out.

We all laughed at his adorable response.

Meanwhile, Bella was grinning from ear to ear.

We all sat there, joyed by the new additions to our big family.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thank you so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting this story! Keep it up!

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"You're gonna have a little sister." Aria and Hanna told their children.

"Woah." Jonathan burst out.

We all laughed at his adorable response.

Meanwhile, Bella was grinning from ear to ear.

We all sat there, joyed by the new additions to our big family.

Ch 20

Aria POV: Sunday, The Day of the Kids' Party

I grinned from ear to ear, resting my hand on my baby bump, looking up at my husband. Around me were my mom, Ezra's mom, the girls, Toby, Caleb, Pam, Wayne, Veronica, Ashley, and Ted. Along with Melissa's kids and our kids.

"I can't believe they're three." I whispered, watching Caleb light the candles.

We all sat down at Emily's dining room table, the kids gathered around their two cakes.

It was lunch time, but the kids insisted on having cake earlier. We had many fun activities planned for them and they just couldn't wait.

"Are you ready?" Spencer asked the kids.

They nodded, and Toby turned the lights out.

"Let's sing to the boys first, since they were born first." Spencer decided.

We all nodded in agreement.

"Make sure to blow out the candles together when the song's over." I reminded the kids.

"One, two, three!" Pam exclaimed.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Mikey and Jonathan! Happy Birthday to you!" We chorused.

We all applauded as the boys held hands and blew out the candles.

"Yay!" I exclaimed, standing up to press a kiss to their foreheads.

I sat back down, as Emily moved the blue cake with eight candles; three for each boy, plus one for each boy for luck, to the other side of the table. Bella and Sarah stood together in front of their pink and purple cake, and we sang once again.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Bella and Sarah! Happy Birthday to you!" We chorused.

We all applauded as the girls blew out their candles together.

The two girls smiled from ear to ear, and Bella threw her arms around Sarah.

"Best Fwends." Sarah declared.

Bella returned the statement, and everyone in the room melted at the interaction.

"They're mini us'!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Us' isn't a-" Spencer began.

I elbowed her and Spencer shut her mouth.

Spencer gave me a glare from my right, and I looked down a seat to see Toby grinning.

My husband chuckled, and Hanna tilted her head, wondering what had just happened.

"They're adorable!" Pam exclaimed.

"They could pass as twins." Ali commented.

"I don't see it." Hanna stated.

"Blonde curly hair, blue and brown eyes, similar shaped faces." Ali pointed out.

"Oh." Hanna stated.

"I'm sure the next little Rivers will be blonde as well." Em stated, looking at Hanna and Caleb.

"Well actually, I'm hoping she looks a little like Caleb." Hanna replied.

"Dark, curly hair. Gorgeous eyes.." Hanna trailed off with a grin.

"Alright, alright." Ashley finished, giving Hanna a look.

Everyone in the room but Ashley, Ted, Hanna, and Caleb chuckled at the comment.

"Cake!" Mikey exclaimed.

The other kids nodded in agreement.

"Alright youngsters." Em declared, grinning at the kids.

She stood up, and began to cut each cake.\

"I still don't get why we are having cake at one o'clock." Ezra sighed.

"What the kids want, the kids get." Toby told him with a shrug.

"It's true." Caleb agreed.

"They are pretty spoiled." I agreed, pressing a kiss to Jonathan's forehead.

Em handed Bella, Mikey, Jonathan, and Sarah each a sliver of cake, and they headed down to the kid table. Matt, Aaron, and Bethany received their slices next.

Bethany and Aaron sat at the 'adult' table, Aaron claiming he's old enough, and because of Bethany's maturity. Meanwhile, Matt joined the three year olds at the kid table.

"I wanna sit there." Matt frowned.

Spencer laughed, reached behind her, and ruffled his hair.

"Soon little man." She told him.

Once we all managed to finish our cake, the kids looked at us eagerly.

"Ready for something fun?" Toby asked them.

"Yeah!" They chorused.

"Follow me!" Toby yelled, and ran with a smile on his face towards the back door.

The adults and I eagerly followed him outside with the kids, awaiting the things ahead.

Outside, there were three pinatas hanging from the trees.

One pinata was pink and one was blue; one for girls, and one for boys.

"Yay!" Mikey exclaimed.

The blue pinata was a dog, and the pink one was a unicorn.

The pinatas both had pull strings, so that the kids could manage it.

"What's the third pinata for?" Bethany asked.

"For you, Aaron, and all of us adults." I replied.

"Cool!" Bethany exclaimed.

The kids ran up to each pinata, Matt joining the boys near the blue one.

Caleb instructed each side to pull at the strings, and the pinata would spill candy.

"Pull one string at a time." Emily instructed each team.

"Mikey goes first for the boys!" Ali shouted.

Spencer pulled out her phone, and began to videotape Mikey.

Toby stood next to the pinata.

"Blue!" Mikey cheered, pulling a blue string off.

"Good job!" Spencer praised.

"Give the string to Uncle Ezra." Toby told Mikey.

Mikey walked over and gave the string to Ezra, and it was now Jonathan's turn.

So far, no candy has spilled out.

Jonathan pulled a string, and gave it to Ezra.

Nothing.

Matt pulled a string, and candy began to spill out.

The kids got down onto the ground, scooping up candy as Bella and Sarah patiently watched.

"Good job!" I exclaimed.

Ezra handed each kid a gift bag so they could put their candy in it.

It looked like, surprisingly, everyone got an equal amount of candy.

Bella and Sarah went next.

They each had pulled a string twice, and as Bella's third turn came up and she pulled, the candy spilled out.

Each of the birthday girls/boys had successfully pulled their strings, and now it was our turn.

"Alright, here's the rules." Em told us.

"There's a blindfold and a bat." She finished, holding up each item.

"No cheating." Ali added, looking at the guys.

Caleb threw his hands up and let out a soft chuckle.

Pam, Ashley, Ella, and Veronica scooped up each grandkid, taking Matt with them as well, as they sat down on the patio, watching.

"Aaron can go first." Em told us.

Spencer put a blindfold over Aaron, and did a small test to see if he was cheating.

Once he was good to go, Spencer spun him, backed up, and Aaron swung.

He just missed the pinata, and handed the bat+blindfold to Bethany.

Spencer went through the same procedure with Bethany, and she swung at the pinata.

She took a good swing at the middle, and a few pieces of candy came spilling out.

I was up next.

Ezra put a blindfold over my eyes, spun me around, and I swung at the pinata.

I heard sounds of candy hitting the ground, and opened my eyes.

I had gotten a few more pieces to fall out.

Hanna went next, and missed on her two tries.

Ali went afterwards, and got a few additional pieces.

Emily had managed to spill even more candy than the four of us of the pinata.

"You had to be cheating." Ali insisted.

"We'll see about that." Spencer teased, putting on the blindfold.

Spencer spilled out an even amount like Emily, and the guys went next.

Ezra went first, and I made sure to hold up my fingers to make sure he wasn't cheating.

I spun him around, and all of the candy exploded from the pinata at that hit.

"The king!" He declared, throwing off his blindfold, and rolling around in the candy.

I watched him and laughed so hard that I began to cry.

"How do you put up with him?" Toby asked me.

"Work, lot's of work." I replied with a chuckle.

"Hey!" Ezra exclaimed with a pout.

"A better question is, how do I put up with you?" Spencer retorted towards Toby.

The adults burst into a chorus of "oohs" and Toby stood there, struggling to come up with a response. Caleb leaned back and laughed.

"Don't get too comfortable Caleb. I have a few things to say about you myself." Hanna told him seriously.

"Snap." Em whispered.

"Hello the candy!" I pointed out.

Bethany and Aaron had already taken all of the candy by the time we looked down.

"Aw dang." Toby joked, swinging his arm with a small snap.

The kids had already dug into their candy, and Bella had chocolate all over her face.

"Oh my god." Hanna said at the sight and put her hands over her eyes.

"I'll take care of it." Caleb assured her, scooping up the little one.

Hanna nodded her thanks, and I headed over to Jonathan.

"You don't wanna get a tummy ache do you?" I asked him, looking at the candy in his hands.

"You'll have more later baby." I told him, taking the bag.

"I'll take the bags to a special place." Em told us, grabbing the bag from my hand.

"Presents." Mikey stated.

"Mikey." Spence groaned.

"You're gonna have to wait little man." A voice called.

Caleb came back, Bella in his arms.

"Let's head back inside." Ali suggested.

We all headed inside and sat back down at the tables.

Once everyone sat down, the doorbell rang.

"Do you have surprises in store?" Caleb asked Em.

"Actually, no." Em replied with a puzzled face.

She rose from her seat and opened the door.

"Toby." She called.

"Yeah?" Toby asked.

"Someone's here to see you." Em said with a frown.

Spencer rose from her seat and followed her husband to the doorway.

"Hello Toby." A familiar voice stated.

"Jenna." Toby replied.

My face paled, and I looked at each person.

'Jenna? As in Jenna Marshall?' Pam mouthed.

I nodded, answering her question.

Mikey ran towards his parents.

"Don't be rude Toby, introduce me to this little one." Jenna stated.

Hanna, Ali, and I rose from the table and stalked off to the doorway.

Ezra held me back and I wiggled out of his grip.

"Guys, there's a surprise in the backyard." Ali told them.

"Ted, how about you take them. You too grandmas? Take Bethany, Aaron, and Matt too please." Ali finished.

The rest of the crowd nodded and headed outside.

"What are you doing here Jenna?" I asked her.

"I'm here to say hi to my nephew." She stated with a smirk.

She bent down to Mikey, "Hello little one. I'm Aunt Jenna."

"How did you know we would be here?" Spencer asked her.

She shrugged.

"Get out." Ali sneered.

"Ali-" Em began.

"Get out." Spencer echoed Ali's statement.

Mikey reached up to Jenna as she went to Spencer's level.

"I don't want him to know you." Toby sneered.

"You don't deserve him." Spencer added.

"Well, fine. At least let me give him my present." Jenna stated, handing Spencer a card.

"And a late birthday present for Spencer." She added.

"Early." Spencer muttered.

Spencer snatched both of the cards, and Jenna left.

Mikey looked back and forth between his parents.

Tears began to form in Mikey's eyes, and Spencer gave Jenna a glare.

"C'mon baby, let's head outside." I told Mikey, taking his hand, and leading him outside.

Once Mikey ran over to Veronica, I headed back to the doorway.

"You have no right to show up like this." Toby sneered.

"I thought your son might want to know me." Jenna stated.

"He will never call you Aunt Jenna." Spencer scowled.

"That's Mikey's decision, isn't it?" Jenna asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah Toby. I thought you might want to know." Jenna began.

"Daddy has cancer." She told him with a smile.

Toby's frown deepened, and Spencer squeezed his arm.

"Stop Jenna." Hanna told her.

"Go home." Em muttered.

"Where is he?" Toby asked Jenna.

"Mikey. Aunt Jenna." Jenna smiled.

"Come on Toby." Jenna whispered, reaching for him.

Spencer slapped her hand, "Don't touch him."

"Well, I'll be going." Jenna smiled.

Jenna ran out the door and into a car.

Spencer began to run after her, but Toby held her back.

"It's okay Spence." He whispered.

"She isn't worth it." He added.

Spencer nodded, wrapping her arms around him.

"Do you think my dad has cancer?" Toby asked quietly.

"There's only one way to find out." Spencer murmured.

"Not today though Tobes, let's focus on the kids." She pleaded.

He nodded.

"And don't you dare leave in the middle of the night." She added.

I walked over to Spence, as the other adults headed outside.

"Are you going to Wren's trial?" I asked Spence.

She winced, "I don't want too, but…"

"But?" I asked.

"The kids want to see him." Spencer murmured.

"They w-want to be with t-t-heir d-dad." Spencer stuttered, sobbing.

"It's okay Spence." I murmured, embracing her.

"The kids aren't going anywhere." I added.

"Not yet." She muttered, her eyes meeting mine.

"I don't want them to go with him, he's dangerous." Spencer stated firmly.

I nodded, "Wren has custody rights."

"I love them, you know? They're already in a new school and they have their own rooms…" Spencer trailed off.

"Spence?" Caleb asked, peeking into the room.

Spencer wiped her eyes and looked up.

"Mikey wants you. We're starting the next activity." He told her, with a small frown at her red eyes.

Spencer nodded.

"We'll be out in a minute." I told Caleb, squeezing Spence's hand.

"Ready?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Thanks Ar."

I nodded in return and we headed back outside.

"Alright, the next activity is a birthday scavenger hunt!" Toby exclaimed.

"Now,these prizes are very special prizes." Toby began.

"Here are the rules, let's say Bella has a toy. If Bella found the toy, don't take it from Bella. It's hers." Caleb added.

"That means you Ezra." I smirked.

Caleb continued, "To find the toys, you have to look and search to see any colored objects." He finished.

"On your marks, get set, go!" Ezra cheered, waving a flag.

Ezra and I followed Jonathan as he waved his blue basket and padded across the grass.

He ran under the treehouse, and scooped up an action figure, near one of the poles.

He grinned, and dropped it into his bag.

Once the game was done, we brought the kids together to count the toys.

Mikey and Sarah had 8, while Jonathan had 9, and Bella had 10.

"Great job!" I exclaimed.

The kids smiled, and we added their things to where the rest of their prizes were.

"Next up.. pin the tail on the donkey!" Caleb announced.

We headed inside, where there were tails for the kids with their names labeled on the tails.

I handed out the tails, and once everyone got one, Ali lined the kids up.

"Alright kids, play fair, don't cheat, be nice." She stated.

Sarah went first, and Em put the blindfold around her.

Sarah was spun around and around, and once Em was done spinning her, she walked to where she thought the donkey was.

That place, however, was Caleb's chest.

"Not quite there kiddo." Caleb told her, and the kids burst out into fits of giggles.

Sarah kept the blindfold on, turned around, and pressed the tape against the donkey.

The tail lay on the donkey's midsection, and she took of the blindfold.

"Yay! I win!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Sorry sweetie. It has to be where the tail would be." Ali told her and patted her back.

"But there is no tail!" She cried, throwing up her hands, and stomping her foot.

"Exactly." Caleb murmured.

Sarah groaned and headed to sit down in the back of the line.

Jonathan was up next, who wound up pinning the tail closer to the Donkey's behind.

The tail was two inches above, and two inches to the right of Sarah's.

"Wow! That's pretty close!" I exclaimed.

Jonathan grinned, and joined Sarah at the back of the line.

Mikey went next, and his tail landed above Sarah's.

Bella's, however, wound up on the Donkey's eyeball.

"Dang it." She sighed.

The adults all looked at each other.

"Hmmm.. it's a close one." Toby said.

"Yeah, we'll need a minute to think it over." Caleb added.

Caleb, Toby, and Ezra gathered around, and Ezra cheered, "Jonathan wins!"

Jonathan clapped and did a small jump in excitement, which Hanna got on tape.

"That was the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Hanna gushed.

I nodded in agreement and whispered, "Send that to me!"

"Already did." She told me with a smile.

I nodded my thanks, and we let the kids go up to Sarah's room to play.

Caleb exited the room with an, "Excuse me."

The other guys followed him out, leaving the us, and our parents alone.

"What did Jenna say?" Veronica asked.

"She wants to know her nephew." Spencer replied.

"She introduced herself as Aunt Jenna." Spencer added with a scowl at the 'Aunt Jenna' part.

"He's too young to know who Jenna is." Veronica told her.

"Which is why we never brought her up." Spencer finished.

"He's only three." Veronica murmured.

"Only three." Spencer echoed.

"He's only three, but do you know what -A could do to him? To all of our children?" Spencer yelled.

"We won't let anything happen to them." Caleb stated, reentering the room with Zoe's in his arms.

"Zoe!" Hanna exclaimed.

At her owner's voice, Zoe ran up to Hanna, giving Hanna's face a lick, and laying in her arms.

"Ew!" Hanna squealed.

"You sound like Bella." Caleb told her and sighed.

The dog was sure a licker, and whenever she licked the kids, they squealed.

Hanna was too wrapped up in her puppy to acknowledge his comment.

Zoe jumped out of Hanna's arms, and onto the floor, to lay down.

"Good girl." Em praised Zoe, giving Hanna a look.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"I love Zoe, but no dog at the table, please." Em told her.

Hanna nodded and locked her eyes on Zoe.

"So, Wren's trial's tomorrow.." Em began, looking at the girls and I nervously.

Spencer winced.

"You guys can ask me you know? I'd rather you do that than look at each other." Spence murmured.

"Wren's going to take the kids back if they win. They'll be back in England.. with a murder. Done." Spencer stated.

"Can you guys handle five kids?" Veronica asked us.

At that question, baby Spencer wailed.

Spencer rose up from the chair, and bounced her in the air.

"Spencer's going to need a mother." Spencer stated.

"and I sure as hell am not going to live in the Hastings-Kingston household." She finished.

Baby Spencer giggled each time Spencer bounced her, and Spence sat back down with Spencer in her arms.

"She needs me." Spencer whispered.

"They need me." She finished.

"Plus, Bethany'll be moving out in seven to eight years." Toby added.

"Don't remind me." Veronica groaned.

"What?" We all asked her.

"It makes me seem old." Veronica said with a pout.

"Aw c'mon, you're all the hippest gmas I know!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Gma?" Ashley asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

"Gma." Hanna echoed.

Ashley laughed at her new title and shook her head.

"It makes us seem old too you know!" Spencer exclaimed, telling her mother.

"Thirty seven, ugh." Hanna spit with a frown.

"Which'll make the kids eleven." I stated.

"And the little ones will be eight." Hanna decided.

"But back to the Wren situation, we're prepared for anything. Even if it means giving up the kids." Spencer stated.

"We're going to the trail." Toby stated firmly.

"Will you bring the kids?" Ali asked.

"No." Spencer stated.

"We don't need them to feel overwhelmed and scared." Toby added.

All of the sudden Zoe started whining, and rolled over for everyone to see.

"I want one!" Em exclaimed.

"No way." Ali stated.

"Aw c'mon Ali." Hanna began scooping up Zoe.

"Zoe loves you." She told her, sticking Zoe up to Ali's face.

Soon enough the dog was licking Ali's face, and Ali looked extremely uncomfortable.

"See?" Hanna asked with a smirk when she pulled Zoe off of Ali.

"Please?" Em asked Ali with a pout.

"I've always wanted one…" Em began.

As if on cue, the kids chorused, "Doggie!"

Sarah ran down, and gave Zoe a hug.

"I love you Zoe!" Sarah exclaimed.

Ali's heart melted as she smiled at the interaction.

"See? Even Sarah loves Zoe! You have to admit that that was adorable!" Em exclaimed, scooping Sarah up.

"Nope no way we are not getting one." Ali said, snapping back into reality.

"That, is a maybe." Em decided.

"Momma, can we get a doggie?" Sarah asked Ali.

"Yeah Momma, can we?" Em asked her with an award winning grin.

"We'll see." Ali told her.

"Yes!" Em exclaimed and pumped her fists up in a victory dance.

"C'mon Sarah, dance!" Em exclaimed.

I pulled out my phone and got my camera ready.

Sure enough, the little one swayed and did some quick steps along side Em.

I hit play, and began to record the two.

"Aw!" We all chorused.

"Now that, is cute." Ali stated.

"That," She said, pointing to Zoe, "is not."

Zoe cried out and dug her face into Caleb.

"I see how you feel about her." Hanna stated crossing her arms.

"Go take Zoe out back please." Hanna requested to Caleb.

Caleb nodded and beckoned the kids to follow him.

Spencer's phone went off, and she mouthed, "It's Noel."

'Speaker.' I mouthed.

Spencer nodded and put it on speaker.

"Incoming call from inmate.." The voice began.

"Wren Kingston." Wren finished.

"I thought it was Noel." She stated.

"Has Noel been calling you?" Toby asked her.

"Uh-" Spencer began.

"Spencer." Toby stated.

"Press one to accept." The voice commanded.

Spencer pressed one.

"What?" Veronica yelled.

"Shhhh." Spencer whispered.

"Spencer?" Wren asked.

"Wren." Spencer returned.

"Spencer. I need to talk to my kids." Wren told her.

"No." Toby answered.

"My lawyer said I can, and I have permission to." Wren stated.

"and before the trial, I can go see the kids." He added.

"I won't let you speak to them." Spencer stated.

"Please. I have an official court order." Wren stated.

"Beth! Matt! Aaron!" Spencer yelled.

The kids came running downstairs.

"There's someone on the phone for you." Spencer whispered, handing Bethany the phone and keeping speaker on.

"Hello?" Bethany asked.

"Beth!" Wren exclaimed.

"Daddy?" She asked.

"It's me." Wren stated.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.

"Daddy!" Matt exclaimed.

"He talked." I whispered.

"I'm okay guys. I really am." Wren stated.

"Why are you sad?" Aaron asked him.

"I miss you guys." Wren stated.

"We miss you too." Bethany told her.

"I'll be out soon. I-" Wren began and the line broke.

"Dad?" Bethany asked.

"Where did he go?" Aaron demanded.

"At prison, you can only talk for so long on the calls. His expired." Spencer explained.

"But I wanna talk to him!" Aaron exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." Spencer whispered.

"Did you get too?" Beth asked Spencer.

"Yes but-" Spencer began.

"You wasted the call with dad." Bethany growled.

"Beth it's not-" Spencer began.

"Wasted it. We may never see him again." Beth stated.

"But dad said he would be out soon." Aaron pouted.

"Is he coming home?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know." Spencer stated.

"You have to let him come home!" Aaron wailed.

"It's not my-" Spencer began.

"Please." Aaron whispered.

"Okay." Spencer stated.

Bethany ran upstairs, crying, and Aaron and Matt headed outside.

"Bethany, wait!" Spence exclaimed, chasing after her.

"Let her go Spence." Toby stated.

Spencer sighed and scooped a crying Spencer from Veronica's arms.

"It's okay." Spencer told her, holding her close.

"They hate me." Spencer told Toby.

"They don't hate you. They just want to see their dad." Toby exclaimed, sending Spencer's gaze to outside.

Bella twirled around in Caleb's arms, and Sarah leaned against Caleb.

"See? Kids need their dads." Toby stated.

"They need a mom too." Spencer whispered.

"Can we talk about how I'm a DiLaurentis? Still processing that here." Hanna stated.

"But you found out months ago." Ali stated.

"But to know that Em's my sister in-law, creepy." Hanna stated.

All of the sudden, the doorbell rang and Em swung it open.

"Package for Spencer Hastings?" The delivery man asked.

"Thats me." Spencer said, rising from her chair.

Spencer signed the paper, and brought the package to the table, the door shut behind her.

"Were you expecting something?" Em asked her.

"No." Spencer stated.

"There's no return address." Spence murmured.

She tore open the package to see nothing.

"Nothing, very funny." Spencer stated.

She shook the package and something landed on the floor with a little plink.

Spencer looked down and picked up what looked like a key.

Attached to the key was a little note.

She looked down at the note, and looked up with a pale face.

"What does it say?" Hanna asked her.

Spencer passed the key to Toby, whom read the note out loud.

"Dear Sam, I'm alive. I can't quite tell you where I am because I know it isn't safe. I'm sorry, I know you don't understand, and I know you're taking good care of them. Wanna find me? Use the key. Love, Annabelle." Toby read.

"Who's Sam and Annabelle?" I asked.

"Me." Spencer stated.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"I'm Sam." Spence stated.

"Uh.." Toby trailed off.

"And I know who Annabelle is." Spencer stated.

"Who?" Em demanded.

"Melissa." Spencer answered.

"Melissa's alive." Veronica whispered.

"When Melissa and I were little, she asked me, 'What would you name yourself if you ever got out of Rosewood and had another identity?' I thought it was a silly question, but I said Sam. She told me she wanted to be Annabelle." Spencer explained.

"So that, right there, may be a key to Melissa Hastings." Ali stated.

"Or a setup." Em finished.

"Yup." Spence nodded.

"It's crazy how big our family is." Ali stated.

"Spence is Hanna and I's half sister. Toby's our half brother in law. Melissa's our half sister. Jason's our half brother.." Ali trailed off.

"All because of Peter Hastings." She finished.

"I still can't believe we're twins." Hanna stated.

"Ali's mom is my mom." Hanna added.

"I think Jessica's alive." Ali stated.

"What?" We all chorused.

"I think that she's hiding out with Melissa, Ian, and all of -A's victims." Ali finished.

"That's-" Hanna began.

"-brilliant." Spencer marveled.

"I was going to say crazy, but continue." Hanna snapped at her.

"Think about it. -A wants everyone to expect that these people are dead. They really aren't, but -A hurt them, tortured them. Some escaped, some are afraid, and some didn't. Mona and Maya escaped, Jessica, Ian, and Melissa are afraid, or wanna keep safe, and well I don't know." Spencer finished.

"This is the key to their hideout." Spencer declared.

"We have to find them!" Veronica exclaimed.

"We can be your backup, we'll keep you safe." Toby added.

"Ted, would you mind swapping places with Caleb? He needs to hear this." Ashley asked him.

Ted nodded, rose from the table, and let Caleb inside.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked, noticing that everyone was looking at him.

"Melissa's alive." Spencer told him.

"I received this key." Spencer began., holding up the key and note, and passing it to him.

"It's from Melissa these were our make believe identities. Ali had a theory that Jessica's alive, and I think her, Jessica, and Ian are hiding out somewhere. I think this is the key to find them. We need you to find out where this key came from." Spencer explained.

"This is crazy." Caleb stated.

"But?" Hanna asked, hopeful.

"I'll do it." He finished.

"I want you guys to help, but you can't go with us." Spencer told the guys.

"I want to have the five of us go alone. Just like old times." I stated.

"But what if something happens?" Ezra asked.

"We have it under control." Ali stated.

"We've done it so many times, we can do it again." Hanna finished.

"When do you head out?" Pam asked us.

"Tonight." Em declared.

"After the kids are asleep. We go." Em added.

"The grandparents can stay here, with the guys, and watch over the kids." Ali finished.

"I have to see if I can get the location by then." Caleb sighed.

"It's going to be tough." He finished.

"I know a guy." Spencer told him.

"I'll be back." Spencer said.

"I'm going with you." I chipped in.

"It's okay-" Spencer began.

"I'm going too." Hanna added.

"Me four!" Em exclaimed.

"Count me in." Ali finished.

"We'll be back." Em told everyone.

I pressed a kiss to Ezra's forehead, and we walked across the street to Spencer's house.

"I call shotgun!" I exclaimed.

"You always get shotgun." Em whined.

I hopped into the passenger seat, and we drove off.

A little while later, we pulled up to a trailer park, and Spencer led us to one of the trailers.

She knocked on the door to reveal a man about the age of our parents.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Ahh, Ms. Hastings, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"Mrs. Cavanaugh, actually." She corrected.

"So you married him anyway." He stated.

She nodded, "I want you to find out where this key goes to."

"Now." She added.

"I'm going to need cash." He stated.

"You owe me a favor, remember?" Spencer asked him.

"Oh, right." He replied.

"Well, let me get started on this." He declared.

"Come on in." He added.

We exchanged a look, and followed Spencer inside the trailer.

We sat down on a couch, and the man headed inside a room.

"It may take me about an hour." He said.

"We have time." Ali told him.

Hanna pulled out her sketchbook and began designing new dresses.

Meanwhile, Spencer and I read, and Em graded papers.

Ali sat there, sketching with Hanna, and we occupied ourselves.

About an hour later, he announced, "Done."

We rose from the couch and he handed us the key, the note, and the address.

"Thank you." Spencer told him.

He nodded, "My pleasure."

We quickly exited the trailer and drove back home.

Once we arrived, Toby asked, "Well?"

"We have it." Spencer told him.

"Dinner is almost ready!" Pam called from the kitchen.

The kids sat at the kiddie table, feasting on chicken nuggets.

"Good thing we didn't miss dinner." Ali stated.

"Thanks mom!" Em called.

"Oh, you're home Emmy! Have a seat, Ezra and I are making lasagna." Pam told us.

We sat down as Pam and Ezra brought out two things of lasagna each.

"First off, we will have a taste test. A little of Pam's, and a little of Ezra's. Then we vote for which we like best. Not just because someone's our husband, or our mother." Caleb finished, looking at Em and I.

"Ready?" Toby asked.

Toby gave out Pam's while Caleb gave out Ezra's.

"Pam's will be on the left hand side of your plate, Ezra's on the right." Toby added.

"Try Ezra's first." Caleb told us.

We all dug into Ezra's and smiled.

Next up was Pam's.

As Pam's lasagna hit my mouth, I stifled a groan.

"Now we vote." Caleb declared.

"For Pam?" Toby asked.

Everyone in the room rose their hand for Pam's lasagna.

"Well, we have a winner!" Toby cheered.

Pam grinned, and Toby took her hand and raised in the air.

A/N: Thank you so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting this story! Keep it up!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thank you so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting this story! Keep it up! Can we get this story to 30 followers? Also, let me know who's POV you want to see next chapter!**

One Big Happy Family

Previously:

"Melissa's alive." Veronica whispered.

"I think Jessica's alive." Ali stated.

"What?" We all chorused.

"I think that she's hiding out with Melissa, Ian, and all of -A's victims." Ali finished.

"That's-" Hanna began.

"-brilliant." Spencer marveled.

"I was going to say crazy, but continue." Hanna snapped at her.

"Think about it. -A wants everyone to expect that these people are dead. They really aren't, but -A hurt them, tortured them. Some escaped, some are afraid, and some didn't. Mona and Maya escaped, Jessica, Ian, and Melissa are afraid, or wanna keep safe, and well I don't know." Spencer finished.

"This is the key to their hideout." Spencer declared.

Ch 21

Spencer POV:

"Thank you for the lasagna Pam, it was amazing." I told her, clearing my plate.

"Anytime Spencer." She told me with a smile.

"Cake cake cake!" The kids chanted.

"We just ate kiddos." Em told them.

"Please!" They chorused.

"Let your tummy's settle. Auntie Em's doing you a favor and saving you from having a belly ache." Aria told them.

They nodded, "Okay Auntie Aria."

"Good." Aria told them.

"Now go have fun!" She exclaimed, pressing kisses to their foreheads.

"Cooties!" Mikey exclaimed.

"I have no such thing." Aria said with a dramatic gasp and laughed.

"Go have fun, we'll call when it's cake time." I told them.

The kids ran outside and played with the soccer ball.

"They're so demanding sometimes." Hanna sighed.

"They're three." Pam shrugged.

"Much like you were." Ashley told Hanna with a smile.

"Were? She still is." Caleb insisted.

"Hey." Hanna scolded him and gave him a light hit.

"Be careful tonight, okay? All of you." Caleb asked.

"We will." The girls and I chorused.

"Stay for cake?" Toby asked.

"Okay." I nodded.

"How about we play a game?" Em asked.

"Sure!" I exclaimed.

Em headed towards her game closet, and came back with a stack of games.

"Here take one." Em told me.

I grabbed the box and opened it up.

I dropped the box and my hands flew to my face.

"What?" Em asked, running over.

Tears began to run from my eyes of the sight of this game.

Em gasped.

"What is it?" Ella asked.

"It's the game we played in the dollhouse." I stated with a shiver.

"How did that show up here?" Ali asked.

"-A was in the house." Em stated.

Em ran upstairs.

"Em! Wait!" Ali called.

Ali raced after Em, and I picked up a note attached to the game pieces.

"Piece by piece, you'll come back to me. -A." I stated.

A shiver went down my spine and I looked up at the girls.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked.

"We're going back to the dollhouse." Aria shivered.

"But it was destroyed." Hanna told us.

"-A went into the house to see every feature of the new bedrooms. -A is building or already built the new dollhouse for us. They're just waiting for us to come." I finished.

"We won't let -A get you guys." Ezra stated.

"It could be when we're at work, you guys can't prevent it." Aria sighed.

"But we will when we can." Toby stated.

Em came back downstairs with Ali, wiping her eyes.

"Are you okay Em?" Aria asked her.

She nodded.

"Cake!" The kids cheered, running inside.

"Cake it is!" Em grinned.

Em cut another sliver of cake for the kids, and they sprinkled their candy on top of it.

"You just had this earlier though!" Ezra exclaimed.

"What the kids want, the kids get." Caleb daid with a shrug.

I checked my watch, it was 7:30.

"We'll be back." I announced, grabbing my coat, and heading out the door.

We piled into my car and I passed Aria the address.

"Enter this into my phone please." I told her.

Soon enough, my GPS was giving me instructions to the place.

"Are you ready?" I asked everyone.

"Ready to see my mom?" Hanna asked.

"No. But I need some answers." Hanna added.

"Speaking for everyone, I don't think any of us are ready. I don't think Maya told us the truth, I think she knows where Mrs. D is." Em finished.

"We'll find out." Ali said.

"We have two hours to go." Aria said with a sigh.

"This better be worth it." Hanna sighed.

We headed off, and I watched as our neighborhood got smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Seeing YOUR mom, seems worth it to me." Em pointed out.

"You need answers Han." Aria chipped in.

"We all need answers." I decided.

"I want to know if Melissa's alive and why the hell she left her kids with me." I finished.

"Well, we're gonna find out." Ali concluded.

Two hours later

Hanna's POV

"We're here." I whispered.

"Well, not quite, we're parking here so no one's concerned. of suspicious activity." Spencer corrected me.

I rolled my eyes and hopped out of the car, leaving the door open behind me.

Once all five of us were out of the car, we linked arms, and walked down the street.

We went down a dark alley, to a small house

"Talk about creepy." Em said with a shudder.

"We've been through worse." Aria pointed out with a shrug.

We ran to the doorway, and stood there, looking at each other.

"Who's going to open it?" I asked.

"Not me." Ali whispered.

"Not it." Aria added.

"Don't look at me." Em stated throwing her hands up.

"Babies." Spencer frowned, gripping the doorknob and pushing.

"It's not opening." She stated.

"Here." I said, giving her my bobby pin.

Spencer quickly picked the lock, and she pushed the door open.

Spencer stepped inside, turning around, looking at us.

"What?" She asked.

"We're not going first." We chorused.

Spencer sighed and continued to walk in, the four of us behind her.

We looked around the abandoned home, seeing nothing.

"Basement." Spencer said.

"What?" I asked her.

"Let's go to the basement." Spencer stated.

We headed downstairs, this time the five of us with our arms linked.

We soon discovered that we couldn't all fit down the basement stairs.

When we reached a doorway, there was a small electronic pad requesting a password.

"Password?" It asked.

"Password?" Em asked.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked everyone.

"I know one." Spencer decided.

She stepped up, pressing letters and numbers into the screen.

"Incorrect. Two tries remaining." The voice replied.

"Let's figure this out before someone tries again too soon." I suggested.

"Alright, so it could be anything." Aria stated the obvious.

"Think of something relating to Mrs. D." Em suggested.

"I know one." I said, raising my hand.

I stepped up to the screen, and typed in my middle name.

"Correct." The voice blared.

"Wow." Spencer whispered.

The door flew open, and we stepped inside a hallway to find another door.

"Password?" The pad asked.

I typed in my middle name again.

"Incorrect." The voice announced.

"Got it." Spencer decided.

Spencer stepped forward, and typed in Taylor.

"Correct." It responded, opening the door.

"Ian." Spencer whispered.

There was one other door with a passcode thing.

"Let's put all of the death dates together." Spencer suggested.

She whipped out her phone, pulling up her phone.

"Let's do them in order of who died first to last." Em added.

"Ian first." Spencer added.

"Maya." Em added.

"Mom." I whispered.

"Got them." Spence finished.

"Who else could be hiding out here?" Spencer asked.

"Garrett." Aria whispered.

Spencer added Garrett's death date in between Maya's and Mrs. D's.

Ali typed in the numbers, and the door opened.

We walked through the door, linking arms to reveal different doors.

"Which door?" I asked.

"Left one." Aria decided.

We headed into the first door on the left, to reveal Melissa, sitting down, reading a magazine.

"Melissa." Spencer whispered.22222222222222222222222222222222222

"I knew you would find me." She murmured, standing up.

"We need answers." I growled.

Melissa nodded, rising from her seat.

"Jessica? Ian? Garrett?" Melissa called.

The doors opened, revealing each of the figures.

"Hanna." Jessica stated.

"Mom." I returned, trying out the word.

"You know?" She asked me.

I nodded, "I do."

"May I?" Ms. D asked me, wiping her eyes, stepping towards me, and holding out her arms.

I nodded.

Tears ran from Ms. D's eyes as she wrapped her arms around me.

"My Hanna." She cooed, squeezing my shoulders.

Ali looked at me with raised eyebrows and she shrugged.

"Alison." Ms. D stated.

"What a way to greet me." Ali muttered, earning a glare from Ms. D.

"Do you know how pissed I am at you?" Spencer asked Melissa.

"You left me with YOUR kids. I had to tell them that YOU were dead. I had to explain that their dad is in PRISON!" Spencer yelled throwing up her hands.

Melissa pursed her lips as tears ran from her eyes.

"Spence-" She began.

"No Melissa. No." Spencer growled.

"Spence, please." She begged.

"I need to explain." She pleaded.

"Let her." Aria whispered, reaching out her hand.

Aria nodded her sympathy as Melissa tore her gaze from Aria and onto Spencer.

"I do believe we all have questions." I clarified.

"Come on, sit down." Ms. D said, leading us downstairs to a living room.

Garrett and Ian followed, closely behind Melissa.

Ian kissed Melissa's cheek from behind.

"What the hell?" Spencer asked.

"He tried to murder me. He tried to murder me Melissa!" Spencer yelled.

"God." She sighed.

Melissa remained silent and the five girls and I sat down on a couch across from the four others.

"Who wants to go first?" Garrett asked us all.

"Let's talk about Melissa." I stated, resolving the problem.

Melissa nodded, stood up, and looked at each of us.

"Did you know that Wren's in prison?" Spencer blurted.

"Yes." Melissa whispered.

"I saw in the paper." She added.

"Why didn't you do anything about it?" Spencer demanded.

Melissa looked at each of her other 'roommates.'

"Spencer, Wren and I were never married." Melissa whispered.

"WHAT?" Spence asked.

"We never did." She repeated.

"I know but-" She trailed off.

"You." Spencer growled, standing up and pointing at Ian.

"You're the father." She hissed.

"You and Wren didn't want to get married, but why? Oh, and this scumbag has to screw everything up, doesn't he? My nieces and nephews think that YOU are dead. They think that WREN is their father. But no? Haha. No. I have to explain to them that 'Hey, your Daddy isn't really your daddy.' Fun, right?" Spencer fumed.

"Wren and I didn't want to commit." Melissa stated.

Spencer sighed and sat back down, trying to remain calm.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding onto her tight, and looking up at Melissa.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. Spencer put all she had into these kids, heck she even got them their own bedrooms. She fed them. Took care of them. Plus, her bills have nearly tripled, and she's still strong." I sneered.

"You don't deserve her." Ali hissed at Melissa.

"Your kids don't deserve you." She added.

"And you're such a great mother yourself? I'm sure Sarah hates you." Melissa sneered.

"That's it." Em said, throwing herself at Melissa.

"No one. No one. Offends MY family." Emily whispered.

Melissa pulled back, fear shaking in her eyes.

"Em." Ali murmured, grabbing her arm.

Em turned around, Melissa still in her grasp to Ali.

"Didn't you hear what she said to you?" Em asked Ali in disbelief.

"It's not worth it." Ali murmured.

I pulled Em off of Melissa and sat her down next to me on the couch.

"It's okay Em." I whispered, squeezing her hand.

"Are you going to have custody of the kids?" Spencer asked her.

Melissa hesitated, and looked around.

"Spencer. We aren't coming back to Rosewood." Melissa stated.

"Why not?" Aria asked, speaking up.

"It isn't safe for us, or the baby." Ian told us.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Spencer groaned.

"Are you serious Melissa? Leaving YOUR kids for another husband and another kid. You make me sick." Spencer hissed.

"Actually, it isn't Melissa's baby." A voice spoke up.

We all looked towards the doorway to see CeCe Drake with a baby in her arms, and Wilden next to her.

"How did you escape prison?" I asked.

"He broke me out." CeCe shrugged, nudging Wilden and letting a laugh escape.

CeCe waltzed through the room and sat down with Wilden on a rocking chair.

"You've got to be kidding me." I groaned.

"You're back too?" I asked him.

"Not just me." CeCe whispered.

"Is she coming back soon?" Garrett asked CeCe.

CeCe shrugged, "She might, she might not. She's still afraid. "

"Okay." Garrett replied.

"Who?" I asked.

The two exchanged a glance, remaining silent.

"I can't even deal with you people." I sighed, throwing up my hands.

"Someone's dramatic." CeCe noted.

"It's just the pregnancy hormones talking." Ali told her.

Ali rose from the couch and wrapped her arms around CeCe.

"I've missed you." Ali whispered.

"Wait… hold up." Em began.

"You two are…"Em trailed off.

"Friends?" Ali finished.

"Still are, we never weren't." CeCe shrugged.

"Why did you come back to Rosewood?" Em asked.

"I wanted a tease." CeCe grinned.

"CeCe was never trouble. She never wanted to hurt us. It was just all an act." Spencer figured out.

"Correct. It was just to shake you up." CeCe smiled.

"I knew you girls were smart!" CeCe grinned with a clap of her hands.

At that, the baby began to cry, and CeCe stood up to leave the room/

"Tell them everything. They've earned it." CeCe commanded and left the room.

"You heard CeCe. Tell us.. everything. " I added.

Garrett, Wilden, Jessica, Ian, and Melissa each looked at each other.

"Where should we start?" Wilden asked.

"I know where." Melissa decided.

"The night of Alison's death." She finished.

Melissa's POV:

Flashback:

"I know Alison's in the room Ian. Promise me that you won't see her again." I revealed.

"Alison means nothing to me, don't worry." Ian insisted, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I nodded and kissed him back.

…..

Hours later:

"CeCe, you have to get those videos back from Ali." I begged her.

"Melissa-" CeCe began.

"CeCe it's important. I need them back. Some things on there are dangerous for Alison to see." I begged.

"I'll do it." CeCe nodded.

"Thank you." I nodded.

"Meet me back at the place late tonight." CeCe whispered.

"I will." I nodded.

I exited the backyard and drove off to Garrett's house.

"Is she getting the videos?" Garrett asked.

I nodded, "She said she will."

"Good." He stated.

"Alison's too powerful, everything we did, her little friends would know too." He sighed.

"She could do bad things with those videos, Garrett. Very bad things." I finished.

"She could leak them to the whole school. Ian could be hurt. You could be hurt, I could be hurt, and so could CeCe." Garrett agreed.

"Even Wilden." I murmured.

"Alison's tricky, schemy, it's what she does. She manipulates people to get her way. I'd hate to see my sister get hurt from her." I described.

"One day, the bitch'll be dead. We won't have to worry about her anymore." Garrett told me with a soft smile.

"Everything'll go back to normal?" He asked.

"You know Rosewood, it's incapable of being normal." I insisted.

"Garrett? Are you up there?" A voice asked.

"Jenna." I whispered.

"We're here Jenna." Garrett called.

Jenna jogged upstairs and came into the room.

"How about I get us some coffees?" Garrett asked.

"Sounds great." Jenna smiled.

Garrett left the room and headed downstairs.

"Does anyone know your secret?" I asked her.

"Just you and Garrett." She shrugged, wiping her brown eyes.

"Good, let's keep it that way. Alison can't know." I decided.

"It must be so hard for you." I whispered.

"It really is." Jenna agreed.

I looked down at my phone, "I've gotta get going, my mom made me promise that I'll check on the girls."

"Alright." Jenna told me.

"Be careful." Jenna called.

"I will." I called over my shoulder, heading downstairs.

Garrett came towards me with the coffees as I turned the knob.

"Sorry Garrett, I've gotta run. Another time." I told him.

I wrapped my arms around him in a hug goodbye.

"Be safe." He told me.

"I will." I insisted, and headed outside, down his driveway, and into my car.

I drove off and headed back to the Hastings household.

I parked in the driveway and walked over to the barn.

Outside of the barn, I saw Alison.

Her head was bloody, really bloody.

Spencer had been having some problems lately, and she had some anger towards Alison.

So, I buried her.

I didn't want Spencer to take the fall for this murder.

I smothered dirt all over this dead little girl so no one could find her.

I ran and left, never looking back.

End of Flashback

"You knew that Jenna was blind?" Spencer asked me.

I nodded, "I did. Garrett and I were the only ones who knew."

"Why would she just let the blame be on Toby?" I asked.

"Toby wasn't," I paused for a cringe, "satisfying her anymore."

"She didn't care about him. She never did. She was using him." Spence sighed.

"Poor Toby." I murmured.

"My husband was hurt by her. I could never forgive her." Spencer stated firmly.

"I know and we don't expect you too." I assured her, speaking for everyone.

Aria held onto Spencer's arm tightly, as a way of showing protection.

"How are the kids?" I asked Spencer.

"They're holding up. Bethany misses you." Spencer whispered.

"I miss them too." I told her.

"Than come back." Spencer murmured, coming towards me, and taking my hands.

"Come back to Rosewood and take your kids back to England. Where they belong." Spencer pleaded.

"I can't." I whispered.

"Why not?" Spencer asked, her smile dropping into a frown.

"Is is because of him?" She asked, pointing to Ian.

"No, sweetheart. It isn't his fault." I told her soothingly.

"Than who's is it?" Spencer asked.

"-A's." CeCe stated, coming back into the room, without her baby.

"How do you guys know?" Aria asked us.

"We've always known darling." Jessica revealed.

"How?" Ali asked.

Jessica sighed, "From the day that Alison DiLaurentis came into the world, and once she gained her personality, I knew she was going to be trouble. The way that she spoke and mesmerized people into loving her, it was all magical. I knew that someone wouldn't like it. I went through Ali's room and picked up one of her dolls. The hatch in the back of it was slightly open, and I pulled on it out of curiosity. Once the note came out, I knew that Alison was being watched. I, of course, asked Veronica, along with Melissa and the other moms if they had noticed anything." Of course, everyone said no. But then Melissa came to my house the other day."

I continued, "I knew about -A. I saw the anonymous text on Spencer's phone. Jessica and I followed you guys everywhere, we knew about -A."

Jessica added, "-A soon knew about us too. Melissa and I stopped meeting and I soon stayed in my house as much as possible. -A threatened us that if we kept looking, we wouldn't see another day. Well, of course after years, I became curious. I needed to know more. -A found me. -A took a swing at me, and buried me. I was faking it. I was never really dead. I started to escape from the ground, ran, and found Ian along with Garrett at the place. They sent me a text to meet them there, and met me at the entranceway of this abandoned house."

"Wow." Hanna remarked.

"I knew about it, where they were hiding out. I sent groceries for years, and even took everyone out of the house, out of the country to live for a little while." I added.

"Did Wren know?" Spencer asked.

I replied, "He followed me alot. We have a backup house in England like this one, in case of emergencies."

"He never really knew why, just that I was up to something." I shrugged.

"I never loved Wren, I've always loved Ian." I added.

"I hate to say it, but I feel bad for Wren." Spencer sighed.

"Me too." The girls chorused.

"I do too, but I did what had to be done. I've always done everything for your safety Spencer, always." I insisted.

"Why can't you go back to Rosewood?" Em asked.

"-A's still out there. If -A knows that we're alive...bad things could happen." Garrett answered.

Ian nodded in agreement, "This time, we'll die for real."

"I don't want to see you guys go." Spencer whispered.

"You don't have to, it's okay." I assured her, wrapping my arms around her.

"We'll be here." I added.

"Promise?" Spencer asked.

I nodded, "Promise."

"Thank you Melissa." Aria whispered.

"For what?" I asked.

"Keeping us safe." Em answered.

"Your welcome." I told the girls.

"How are our husbands going to react to this?" Spencer asked with a chuckle.

"They won't." Ian stated.

"They can't know, it isn't safe." Jessica added.

"But-" Hanna began.

"No buts, you tell your husbands, boom, automatic death." CeCe finished.

"Promise me Spencer. Promise me that you won't tell Toby." I stated.

"All of you. Promise me." I added.

"Promise me that you won't tell Toby." I repeated.

"I-I don't know if I can do that." Spencer whispered.

"Spencer please." I stated.

"Melissa, I can't keep this a secret from Toby." Spencer stated.

"If you can't, you and your friends have to leave." Garrett stated.

"But-" Spencer began.

"Spencer, I need answers." Hanna pleaded.

Spencer began having a mental battle, should she or should she not?

"Okay." Spencer stated.

"Okay what?" Ian asked.

Spencer rolled her eyes, "I won't tell Toby."

"Excellent." CeCe stated.

"Excellent." Wilden echoed.

"Why did you give me up?" Hanna asked Jessica, breaking the tension in the room.

Jessica DiLaurentis's POV:

My heart pounded as I processed the words that came out of my daughter's mouth.

I began to tell the story as follows:

…

Flashback

"Mrs. DiLaurentis, it appears that you are having twins." The doctor told me.

"Twins?" I asked.

"Twins." Kenneth echoed.

"Would you like to know the gender?" The doctor asked.

She corrected, "I mean genders."

"Yes!" I cheered.

"Ms. DiLaurentis, I am pleased to tell you that you are expecting twin girls." The doctor finished.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"Congratulations." She told us, squeezing our shoulders.

"Wow. Twins." Ken stated grinning.

I nodded, "Twins." I echoed.

"And our first girls." He added.

"Charles won't be happy." I told him with a sigh.

"We'll have to break the news." Ken shrugged.

We walked outside and hopped into the car, driving home.

"We'll have to paint the nursery. The girls will be best friends! I can't wait!"I grinned.

"We have to find space for two babies." Ken told me.

"But we already have the nursery-" I began.

"But two babies in one room, both crying and screaming?" Ken interrupted.

"Jason and Charlie won't be happy." He added.

"Good point." I shrugged.

We pulled up into the driveway, and opened the door to see Ashley and Tom Marin with the kids.

"Thanks for watching them for me Ash." I told her, giving my best friend a hug.

"Anytime." She grinned.

"Jason, Charles." I beckoned them.

"Yes mom?" Jason asked.

"I'm pleased to tell you boys that I'll be expecting two girls." I announced.

"Girls?" Charles asked.

"Two girls." I repeated.

"I hate you! You bitch!" Charles yelled, storming out of the house.

"What did he just call me?" I asked Ken, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Where did he learn that?" I asked Ken.

"I have no idea. I'll find him." Ken assured me, running after Charles.

I let the tears drip down my face.

"Congrats mom, I'm really excited to have little sisters!" Jason beamed.

"Thank you honey." I told him, giving him a squeeze on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that." I told Ashley and Tom.

"No, no it's okay." Tom assured me.

"I'm sorry that that happened." Ashley whispered.

"It's not your fault." I pointed out with a sniffle.

"Well, I'm sure you both have dinner plans, go on. Thanks again." I told them.

Tom nodded leading Ashley out of the house.

Ashley turned back, leaving a small smile at Jason, and then she left.

Ken came back into the house, breathless.

"He-He-" Ken began.

"Where's Charles?" I demanded.

"He's gone Jess." Ken whispered.

"What do you mean he's gone?" I asked.

"He's no where in sight. The neighbors haven't seen him, I looked up and down the streets." Ken explained.

"You need to file a police report." I stated.

"Jess-" Ken began.

"Now!" I wailed, tears flowing from my eyes.

"Jason, go upstairs bud." Ken told him.

Jason ran upstairs and shut his bedroom door behind him.

Ken excused himself and dialed the Rosewood PD.

I leaned back against the wall and sobbed.

What felt like days later, the Rosewood PD showed up.

"Ms. and Mr. DiLaurentis?" He asked.

"Yes, that's us." I declared.

"I"m so sorry this had to happen to your family." The officer stated.

"Me too." I agreed.

"How did this happen?" The officer asked.

"Charles has always wanted to be a girl, ever since he was little. When I told him that I was expecting girls earlier, he freaked out, called me a bitch, and ran out." I explained.

"We'll try our best to find him." The officer nodded.

"Could I have a picture of him and his birth certificate? We'll bring it back, I promise." The other officer asked.

"Of course." Ken said, running up to grab the certificate.

I handed them Charles' school picture and Ken came back with the birth certificate, and the officers left.

End of Flashback

"What happened to Charles?" Hanna asked.

"We never saw him, ever again." I whispered.

"Wow." Ali whispered.

"Wow indeed." I agreed.

"What about me?" Hanna asked.

Flashback

I had invited Ashley and Tom over for dinner, since Ken and I had news for them.

As we finished our meal, I stood up with Ken.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked.

"We have something to tell you." I stated, grinning at Ken.

"We know how you've always wanted kids, so we want to give one to you." I declared.

"I can't accept this." Ashley stated.

"Please, the kid would just remind us of Charles." I begged.

"Jessica please." Tom begged.

"No, Ashley. I NEED you to take this kid. You've always wanted one. You deserve it." I pleaded.

"Jessica-" Ashley began.

"We can always have more kids, you can't." Ken added.

"Okay, alright." Ashley concluded.

"Thank you." Ashley told us with a grin.

"Your welcome. We'll tell you as soon as the babies are born." I nodded.

End of Flashback

"So you just gave me up? Just like that?" Hanna asked me.

"Ashley's always wanted kids." I stated.

"I know but.." Hanna trailed off.

"Nevermind. I just don't get it." Hanna stated.

"Get what?" I asked her.

"Why you would give me up like that? Ashley could've found a donor." Hanna asked.

"It made me feel good knowing Ashley was happy, plus we wouldn't be able to handle two newborns and Charles, if he ever came back. Jason was always easy." I answered.

"Did Jason know that you were alive?" Spencer asked me.

"Yes." I answered.

"He lied to us." Em whispered.

"He did what?" I asked.

"He told us that he didn't know where you were." Em clarified.

"He did alright, but it's good that he kept it a secret." I smiled.

"You would've found me too soon, putting everyone in danger." I stated.

"Why did you choose the name Hanna?" Hanna asked me.

"I had a feeling I was having girls, and Hanna means god's gift, which is what you are." I answered.

Hanna smiled.

That's all I need from her, a smile.

"Alison means a noble fighter, plus I've always liked the name." I told Alison before she asked.

"I wonder what Spencer means." Spencer whispered.

"Keeper of provisions." I told her.

"Lion of God, song, melody, and star for Aria." I added.

"Emily is industrious." I finished.

"How do you know all of this?" Hanna asked me.

"I looked it up one day." I said with a shrug.

All of the sudden, Spencer's phone went off.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's a blocked number." Spencer whispered.

**A/N: Thank you so much for following, reviewing, and favoriting this story! Keep it up! Can we get this story to 30 followers? Also, let me know who's POV you want to see next chapter!****  
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